Sunderland agree Burstow deal after late Swansea hijack - sources

By Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent

2nd Sep, 2023 | 7:50am

Sources: Sunderland agree Burstow deal after fending off late Swansea hijack

Sunderland agreed a deal to sign Chelsea striker Mason Burstow after fending off a late Swansea City hijack, sources have told Football Insider.

The Black Cats announced on Friday night shortly before the transfer deadline that the forward, 20, had completed a loan move from the London giants.

It is believed that Sunderland only got the deal done after seeing off rival interest from Championship opponents Swansea.

Both clubs are believed to have made loan offers for Burstow, while Blackburn Rovers also pushed hard for a deal.

The young forward has made two appearances off the bench this season with cameos against West Ham and Luton Town in the Premier League.

The Swans have already lost striker Joel Piroe to Leeds United in a £12million move this summer, and Football Insider revealed on Thursday (31 August) that Blackburn are eyeing up a move for forward Liam Cullen.

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Losing both strikers within one window would leave Michael Duff’s attacking department thin so Swansea are looking to bolster their squad through the arrival of Burstow.

Burstow burst into the first-team plans at Chelsea after a hugely successful 2022/23 season where he scored 11 goals and registered four assists for the Blues’ youth side.

He has so far provided depth for first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson at Chelsea, but Christopher Nkunku’s return to fitness in a few months time could prove problematic for Burstow’s playing time.

Burstow joined Chelsea from Charlton Athletic in February 2022, before returning to the League One side on loan.

He scored six goals for Charlton’s first team in 23 appearances across all competitions.

In other news, Stoke City in advanced talks to sign Chelsea defender Bashir Humphreys