Sunderland are close to locking down Josh Maja, who has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, on a new contract, according to Sky Sports News HQ.
Maja has flourished under new Sunderland boss Jack Ross this season and is powering the Black Cats' bid for promotion from League One.
Ross is a big fan of the forward and wants to make sure he continues his development at the Stadium of Light, something which is not guaranteed given his contract expires in the summer.
While Sunderland would be entitled to compensation if Maja leaves, it could be a small sum compared to the amount they could generate if he continues to progress and adding into the mix Premier League clubs taking an interest.
Tottenham, Manchester City and Southampton were all linked with Maja last month and are claimed to be monitoring the teenager's development.
But Sunderland are now close to securing Maja on a new contract after he held what were described as promising discussions with owner Stuart Donald.
Convincing Maja to put pen to paper would be a boost for Sunderland as they seek to bounce back to the Championship.
He joined Sunderland in 2015 and penned his first professional deal a year later.
