Alex Pritchard may be on his way out of Sunderland, after Turkish Super Lig side Sivasspor reportedly made an official approach to the Sunderland star.
Alex Pritchard might be leaving Sunderland after Turkish Süper Lig club Sivasspor reportedly made an official bid to the Sunderland star.
Turkish reporter Ertan Süzgün announced the news on his X account, adding that the Turkish club has made a formal bid to the Sunderland midfielder.
Pritchard, 30, has been with Sunderland since July 2021, after signing for free from Huddersfield Town. His contract with the Black Cats will expire in the summer following three seasons in the northeast.
It is unclear whether Pritchard has accepted any offers at this time, but the offensive midfielder could be enticed by a move to Turkey, given his limited games this season at the Stadium of Light as they seek promotion to the Premier League after a lengthy absence.
Pritchard’s move to Sivas might reunite him with Clinton N’Jie, with whom the Englishman spent one season at Tottenham Hotspur.
Sunderland offers a limited number of starting positions.
Despite being a key player at Sunderland since joining in 2021, with 114 league and cup appearances to date, including 28 starts and 39 total league appearances as the club was promoted from League One, Pritchard has made only eight starts in his 22 Championship appearances this season.
Sunderland’s squad is quite young, and Pritchard has found his offensive midfield slot frequently held by 18-year-old Jobe Bellingham, especially in the early stages.
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Pritchard has averaged 47 minutes per game for Sunderland this season, scoring once and creating five assists (Sofascore), demonstrating his creativity despite restricted playing time.
He has had more starts since the arrival of Mick Beale, including in the Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle United and in the most recent match against Ipswich Town.
Potential move on the horizon
The diminutive midfielder has played for eight different clubs in his career, including a number of loan spells away from Tottenham Hotspur, and a move to Turkey could be the next step in his journeyman career.
According to Ertan Süzgün, Sivasspor have made an official offer to Pritchard, and he could be on his way to Turkey at the end of the season.
Mick Beale looks to have seen the value of Pritchard to his squad, starting the midfielder more often than Tony Mowbray did prior to his dismissal.
Beale may be hoping Pritchard chooses to stay at the Stadium of Light beyond the end of his current contract and chooses to reject the offer from the Turkish Süper Lig club.
