On the back of the news that Rafa Benitez and Newcastle were monitoring the progress of Dundalk winger Daryl Horgan, the Telegraph are suggesting that a Tyne/Wear tug-of-war could be held to secure the talented winger's services.
A story published on Friday evening claims that Sunderland have sent scouts to watch Horgan and are set to rival any offer made by Newcastle in the hopes of luring him to the Stadium Of Light.
David Moyes' men have had an awful season and are widely tipped for relegation, but they are supposedly interested in making a deal for Daryl Horgan happen as early as January.
Sunderland are ready to rival North East rivals Newcastle United in the pursuit of Dundalk winger Daryl Horgan following his inclusion in the Republic of Ireland squad last week.
Horgan has been watched by a host of Premier League and Championship scouts this season and has been integral to Dundalk’s success, but Sunderland have held an interest in him for several months and are thought to be leading the race to sign the 24-year-old.
Newcastle have also sent scouts over to watch Horgan – who has scored 10 goals in his last 22 appearances and could rival Sunderland if they make a bid in January.
Interestingly, the article continues to claim that Sunderland are also tracking Andy Boyle, who was called up with Horgan to the Irish squad by Martin O'Neill this month, with a view to making a double swoop to take two of Dundalk's brightest stars to England.
The Black Cats have also been keeping a close eye on Horgan’s Dundalk teammate Andy Boyle and may look to pull off a double signing. Boyle is a centre-back who has also caught the eye as Dundalk enjoy a remarkable run in the Europa League.
We've not heard much speculation surrounding Boyle's future, but clearly we can expect to hear more in the coming weeks.
Only time will tell as to the validity of these reports, but what is absolutely clear is that Dundalk's performances in Europe have alerted many teams around England as to the talent available in the League of Ireland, and Martin O'Neill bringing Horgan and Boyle into the international fold will only have accelerated the process for any club interested in making a move.
