Highly-rated Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson is reportedly being targeted by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City ahead of the summer window.

The Black Cats academy graduate has been in fine form this season, with the Premier League duo both seeing him as a potential long-term number one.

Sunderland would be unlikely to let their go-to man leave easily, so it is believed that a sizeable fee would be required to secure the youngster’s services.

According to journalist Alan Nixon of the Sun, the Wearsiders value Patterson at £10m, and he believes they could potentially cash in on him should they fail to win promotion to the Premier League this season.

Patterson made his league debut for Sunderland in August 2021 and following a brief spell in the National League on loan at Notts Country last season, he has since established himself as Alex Neil’s first-choice between the sticks.

Wolves are said to be looking for a new shot-stopper for the future, with Jose Sa already 30 years old, so Julen Lopetegui may see him as a potential option next summer.

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers, however, is also interested in the English goalkeeper, after being left unconvinced by the performances of Danny Ward this season.

Indeed, both sides have conceded the sixth-most and second-most goals respectively in the Premier League so far, showing the clear need for reinforcements in that area.

Wolves and Leicester set to battle for Patterson

Patterson has made 29 appearances in the Championship for the Black Cats this season, conceding just 33 goals overall and helping his side to eight clean sheets.

Sunderland were only promoted from League One last season but could be in with a chance of reaching the Premier League.

Alex Neil’s side currently sit in ninth place in the league table, just two points off the playoff spots, after winning 11 of their 29 matches so far.

Patterson has been key to their success, but it looks like the Black Cats will have to fend off heavy interest should they fail to return to the top flight next season.

As mentioned, Wolves and Leicester currently look the most likely to move for the keeper next summer, but, there is no guarantee that they’ll be in the Premier League next season either.

Wolves currently find themselves in 15th place in the league table, after winning just five of their 21 opening matches.

They did, however, pick up a fantastic 3-0 victory over Liverpool on Saturday, so despite being just two points off the drop zone, are ready for the relegation fight.

Similarly, Leicester also find themselves just three points away from the bottom three, so their future in the top flight isn’t certain either. But, the Foxes also picked up a valuable three points with a 4-2 win over Aston Villa on Saturday.

With that in mind, Patterson’s future depends on several variables, but wherever he ends up next season, the youngster looks set for an exciting career.

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