SUNDERLAND and Middlesbrough are in a North East tug-of-war for rising star Nathaniel Adjei.
The battle for the talented 21-year-old is not solely limited to these two bitter rivals, however, with fellow Championship promotion rivals Preston North End also keen on the Ghanaian defender.
All three want the blossoming centre back on loan in January to help give their chances of reaching the Premier League an extra push.
Adjei is currently with Swedish top-flight side Hammarby but has alerted scouts in England after already being tracked by Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers.
Rangers sent scouts to watch him play last month.
But his options could come from far wider than just the UK, with teams in Belgium and Italy also interested, according to Sky Sports.
Adjei is enjoying a fine breakthrough season, having helped Hammarby reach sixth in the table after 29 games.
A regular starter, he has played in all but nine league games to date, as well as in both of their UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
In May, Adjei also netted his first goal as a pro.
When in the lineup, Hammarby have only lost three league games, compared to five without.
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Their season is set to come to a close following their game against Halmstad on November 12.
Unfortunately for Hammarby, with fifth the highest possible finishing position in the league, a European berth is no longer on the table.
The towering 6-foot-2 defender was signed by Hammarby TFF in the Swedish third division on loan in August 2022.
Come June, he was signed permanently by their main team by manager Marti Cifuentes – who now calls Loftus Road home.
Adjei’s current contract runs through July 2026.
In June, he also made his debut for Ghana at the Africa U-23 Cup Of Nations.
