Sunderland’s Mavrias to join Celtic on loan?

Charalampos Mavrias in action for Sunderland Under 21 V Manchester City Under21 in the Barclays U21 Premier League. Picture by FRANK REID

Sunderland are keen to get Mavrias playing first-team football again by sending him out on loan for the second half of the season after the Greek international has not featured for Gus Poyet’s side this campaign.

The Black Cats have already agreed with Mavrias and his representative that he can leave the Stadium of Light this month, with the transfer window shutting next Monday.

But there are no shortage of suitors for the 20-year-old, who was watched by a host of scouts in the Under-21s’ clash with Manchester City on Monday night.

Celtic scouts were in attendance, while representatives from three Championship clubs were also present.

MailSport understands that Sunderland have received an enquiry from one side in Spain’s La Liga too.

Mavrias’ former club Panathinaikos, along with fellow Greek outfit PAOK, have been eager to take the £2million wideman back to his homeland.But neither have the finances to fund a loan switch, while Mavrias – who has another 18 months to run on his Sunderland contract – is understood to regard a return to Greece as a backward step at this stage of his career.

Poyet confirmed last week that Sunderland are working on January exits for both Mavrias – who shone during the pre-season campaign – and midfielder Cabral, with neither of the two Roberto Di Fanti signings featuring since last season.

“We are working on it,” said Poyet.

“We are working on the happiness for everybody.”

The potential departures of Mavrias and Cabral are likely to offer the only remaining transfer action during the window for Sunderland, despite the Black Cats’ struggles in the relegation dogfight.

Poyet admitted after the capture of Jermain Defoe that Sunderland are unlikely to bring in any more players, with the club understood to be close to their limits of Financial Fair Play.

And while there is interest in taking Danny Graham back to the Championship - after he spent the final six weeks of 2014 on loan at Wolves - Sunderland currently only have four strikers available for the two places up front in Poyet’s new 3-5-2 formation.