Sunderland and Newcastle battle it out for Republic of Ireland winger Daryl Horgan
North East rivals go head-to-head in race to sign highly-rated Dundalk wide man after international call-up
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SUNDERLAND and Newcastle are going head-to-head in the battle to sign highly-rated Dundalk winger Daryl Horgan.
The -north-east rivals have both emerged as serious contenders to snap up the 24-year-old when the transfer window opens in January.
Sunderland boss David Moyes has been tracking the stocky wide-man over the last f ew months and had been hoping to get a deal done under the radar.
But Newcastle have also been alerted to his talents and are keen to add him to their squad as they push for promotion from the Championship.
And Rafa Benitez may even have the extra financial power to get the deal done even though Sunderland have the lure of Premier League football to offer.
Moyes knows he needs to add more depth to his squad as he desperately tries to lead his side in their battle to avoid relegation.
But he is not blessed with a huge transfer budget to make wholesale changes - even though relegation from the top flight would cost the Black Cats over £100million-a-year in TV income alone.
Horgan has been aware of Sunderland's interest for a while though, and they remain in pole position to agree a deal with initial talks having already taken place.
But Newcastle's form this season suggests they are in good shape to secure automatic promotion this season - offering the prospect of Premier League football next year when Sunderland's position is far from secure.
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Horgan was called up to the Republic of Ireland squad last week on the back of his impressive displays for Dundalk, including in the Europa League.
And he would cost around £4million to buy in January, making him relatively cheap compared to other players on the continent.