Jack Ross reveals why Sunderland want to sign £1.5m-rated Cheltenham striker

Sunderland have launched a £1million bid for the Cheltenham Town striker and are waiting to hear whether the bid has been successful.

The Black Cats boss, who is hoping for a speedy resolution when it comes to his top transfer targets, has opened up on the reasons why Eisa is a key summer target.

And he revealed that he is a long-term admirer of the frontman, who notched 25 goals in 50 appearances last season, following his move from non-league.

Ross said: “James Fowler [assistant manager] and I were always very thorough in terms of recruit-ment in Scotland, we were always aware of players in England.

“We look a lot at playing history, what they have done and he is a player whose goalscoring record has been outstanding through different levels.

“There shouldn’t be a snobbery attached to that.

“To score that many goals, you have to be good.

“Again, same as Charlie Wyke, he is a player under contract.

“I would never speak too much about them than to say they are good players, which is probably stating the obvious.”

Sunderland are in the market for at least two strikers before the transfer window closes, with Sunderland also lodging a £600,000 bid for Bradford City striker Charlie Wyke.

Eisa, who is also wanted by Sunderland’s League One rivals Peterborough and Portsmouth, scored for Cheltenham against a Reading Under-23 side yesterday.

The Sudan-born striker is contracted to Cheltenham until 2020. Peterborough’s most recent offer was worth £1million.

That included clauses over a period of time, while Pompey have now tabled three separate bids but none of those were close to Cheltenham’s valuation.

The striker joined the club from Greenwich Borough last summer and scored 23 times in League Two. He won the club’s supporters’ and players’ player of the year awards.