Sunderland forward Nazariy Rusyn is drawing interest from clubs in his native Ukraine, as per a report from Sport Arena.
Sunderland signed Rusyn last summer, bringing him in from Ukrainian club Zorya Lugansk on a permanent basis in a bid to bolster their attacking ranks
The 25-year-old endured a challenging first season on Wearside, with his 22 senior outings only yielding two goals and one assist. He also saw his campaign ended early by a calf injury.
The hope will be that Rusyn can kick on when the new season comes around as the Black Cats continue to yearn for a new talisman.
However, interest from back in Ukraine may well see his time at the Stadium of Light end early.
Ukrainian news outlet Sport Arena reports that a number of the country’s top flight clubs are keen on the Sunderland man. Newly-promoted side Karpaty Lviv are among those keen in a potential loan-to-buy deal.
Time will tell if anything comes of the links, but Rusyn is still under contract until 2027.
An important season awaits
Since the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Sunderland caretaker manager Mike Dodds has spoken of the importance next season holds for Rusyn. Acknowledging some of the off-pitch struggles he’s had to contend with, Dodds stated that there is an element of pressure for him to perform.
