Jan Kirchhoff is edging closer to his Sunderland switch after Bayern Munich today confirmed he was having negotiations with another club.
The German club today began a training camp, preparing for the resumption of the Bundesliga season in two weeks time, but Kirchhoff was not present.
On Bayern's official website, they wrote that the 25-year-old was not in Doha with the rest of the team, but instead "with his advisors in negotiations on a possible change."
It has already been widely reported in Germany that the move to the Stadium of Light is near, with a fee of £750,000 to be paid by the Black Cats to the German champions, and it seems now that all is left to do is for the player to sign a contract.
Deal edges nearer
Reports this week, from German publications Kicker and Bild, wrote that Kirchhoff was close to completing a switch to the Premier League, with an 18-month contract agreed on between Sunderland and the player.
The two clubs have already agreed on a fee too, and now the defender is travelling to the North-East of England to put pen to paper, according to Kicker, following his absence from Bayern's training camp.
Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce this week stated that he was hoping for a transfer breakthrough in the next seven to 10 days, but it appears that it has come even earlier for him.
Recruitments needed
With Allardyce this week slating the Premier League for their tough schedule, and players such as Yann M'Vila admitting they have struggled with the high demands of the festive period, Kirchhoff's arrival is timely.
With fatigue and injuries plaguing the Black Cats' squad, they are in need of depth as their relegation battle gets more and more desperate.
This weekend's FA Cup clash is likely to see Allardyce rest some players as a result of the recent schedule, but the team will need to be at their strongest after that in order to continue moving in the right direction after their win over Aston Villa.