Tony Mowbray has dismissed reports of a January reunion with Bradley Dack on Wearside as 'very, very unlikely' - insisting there has been no contact between the clubs. A report emerged last weekend suggesting that Sunderland were keen on signing the Blackburn Rovers man, who has become frustrated at Ewood Park after starting just three Championship games this term.
Mowbray was in charge at Blackburn when Dack made a £750,000 move to the Lancashire club from Gillingham in the summer of 2017, making the link with the Black Cats an easy one to make. But, while Mowbray is a huge fan of Dack, the fact that the midfielder has suffered two cruciate ligament injuries - one in December 2019 and the second in March 2021 - means there is a question mark over whether he can reach the same levels he hit before his injuries.
Add in the fact that, at 28, he would not fit Sunderland's model of generally signing young players who can be developed, and that his wages would almost certainly be beyond the Black Cats, and the link looks increasingly tenuous. "I love Bradley Dack," Mowbray told ChronicleLive.
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"What an amazing guy and, two years ago, what an amazing footballer. I haven't seen it [the report linking Dack with Sunderland] because I don't read it, but if you're telling me it's been out there, there has been no contact to the football club [Blackburn].
"Bradley is obviously not very happy because he's not playing and he was probably the best player in the Championship two years ago before his two cruciates. He's had two cruciate knee ligament [injuries].
"He's 28, does he fit the profile of what we are trying to do? I think it is very, very, unlikely.
"And the financial aspect is definitely unlikely."
Dack scored 18 goals in his first season at Blackburn, and was named the EFL League One Player of the Season as the club was promoted under Mowbray.
He followed that with 15 goals in his first season in the Championship, before his injury problems began the following season.
Sunderland are keen to add to their squad in January and Mowbray has been involved in a meeting this week at which certain positions were identified for strengthening, although specific named targets were not mentioned. Mowbray said: "We've had conversations and we know what areas we'd like to strengthen.
"At this moment, I haven't seen the list that the recruitment department is putting together. I don't know the levels of financial support that there will be for signing the players in the positions that we want to sign.
"I'm sure those moments are coming. We've had one meeting and we've identified where we feel we need to strengthen the team positionally.
"Whether that is with three or four £10m players or £1m players of free transfers, I'll find out over the next few weeks. I've had input into positions, saying we could do with strengthening here, and we could do with this which would help as well.
"I want some positions to be a bit more competitive for the starting line-up."
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