According to reports, Sunderland have stepped up their interest in a bid to sign Everton striker Nathan Broadhead this summer.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future

The 24-year-old spent last season out on loan at the Stadium of Light and played a significant role in helping Alex Neil’s side achieve promotion to the Championship.

Shortly after the celebrations, the Black Cats held talks with the forward regarding the possibility of bringing him back to Wearside, but were later dealt a setback in their pursuit.

Recent reports have suggested that the Toffees have offered the sought-after talent a new deal to get him to commit to the club long-term, but it sounds like the boss isn’t showing any signs of ending his quest.

The Latest: Sunderland pushing for Broadhead

The Northern Echo have claimed that Neil and Co are continuing ‘to push’ for a deal to re-sign Broadhead, despite Everton’s attempt to keep him at Goodison Park.

If the attacker was to extend his stay with the Blues, then the Black Cats would have no choice but to pursue a ‘loan deal rather than a permanent’.

The source states that ‘a number’ of unnamed second-tier clubs are ‘monitoring’ the player’s situation, though it’s Sunderland who have ‘held their interest’ throughout the summer, possibly giving them the advantage.

The Verdict: Get it done

Neil has recently revealed that he’s looking at making ‘four of five’ new additions before the window closes on September 1, and it’s no surprise that Broadhead is one of those given the impression he made.

The Welshman, dubbed ‘one of the best’ by former Everton U23s manager David Unsworth, netted 13 times in 27 outings across all competitions for the Black Cats last season, via Transfermarkt, and massively contributed to the club’s success.

Broadhead will know that he won’t get any first-team action at Everton regardless of if he signs the contract or not, so a move to Sunderland, where’s he's probably guaranteed to be in the starting XI most weeks, could prove to be a majorly attractive proposition.