Nathan Broadhead has agreed to a season-long loan at League One side Sunderland.
Sunderland officials have held talks over the 23-year-old, with Everton boss Rafael Benitez having given Broadhead the green light to leave Goodison Park on loan.
Black Cats head coach Lee Johnson has identified a number of different attacking targets in the last few weeks, but Broadhead is now firmly established as Sunderland’s number one attacking option and a deal could be concluded in the next 48 hours.
The Bangor-born forward, who recently signed a new two-year contract extension with Everton, will hope to gain vital first-team experience at Sunderland as they push for promotion to the Championship.
Broadhead was part of the first team squad at Everton last season, making his Premier League debut in a 0-0 draw at Brighton. He joined the club for their Florida Cup games in the United States and having made appearances in all Everton’s pre-season encounters, Broadhead was again on the bench for Everton in their Premier League season opener against Southampton on Saturday.
He had a great season at U23 level last season, scoring 11 goals and adding three assists in 18 appearances and, despite uncertainty over his future at the club, signed a two-year contract extension on the recommendation of former manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Broadhead spent a season with Burton Albion in League One back in 2019-20, playing mostly on the wing. He made 22 appearances for Burton scoring three goals, primarily from the wing, although his time at the club was hampered by a recurrent hamstring injury. The loan deal was then cut short by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A number of clubs, including Blackpool, Reading and Famalicao of Portugal showed an interest in signing the versatile Welshman, but the promise of regular football in his preferred position of centre forward swung it in the League One club’s favour.
Broadhead is expected to undergo a medical at Sunderland today and the loan confirmed within the next 48 hours.
