Sunderland international set for January exit after being dropped

COSTEL PANTILIMON could leave Sunderland this month after losing his place in the first team.

 

Pantilimon has dropped behind both his fellow first-team goalkeepers

 

The Romanian international wasn't even among the substitutes as 21-year-old Jordan Pickford made his debut on Saturday at White Hart Lane.

The 28-year-old played in every Premier League game before being replace by Vito Mannone just before Christmas.

And after apparently slipping to third in the goalkeeping pecking order at Christmas, the Newcastle Chronicle are now reporting that Espanyol will make a move for him as soon as this month.

 

The Spanish club have recently appointed Romanian Constantin Galca as head coach who is said to be a big fan of his fellow countryman.

And with current stopper Francesco Bardi only a loan signing until the end of the season, a move for Pantilimon would make a lot sense.

But they are likely to face competition with a number of clubs in both France and Spain understood to be interested in the goalkeeper's signature should he become available.

 

Sunderland have already signed Dame N'Doye and Jan Kirchhoff in this transfer window and manager Sam Allardyce has admitted that any further investment will need to be supplemented by sales.

Pantilimon arrived at the Stadium of Light on a free transfer from Manchester City in 2014 and thanks to a now-infamous 8-0 defeat to Southampton after which Vito Mannone was dropped, made his Premier League debut for the side in November 2014.

And he had played every Premier League game of the season up until Christmas when he was replaced by Mannone for Sunderland's Boxing Day trip to face Man City.