Injury halts Harrison Jones loan as Sunderland future becomes clearer | OneFootball

An injury has scuppered Harrison Jones’s proposed loan move, with his short-term Sunderland future becoming clearer. According to Sunderland Echo, the club now expect him to remain on Wearside until the summer, making a loan this window unlikely.

The midfielder attracted strong interest across the EFL after his academy progress, yet plans for a temporary switch were complicated by the setback.

Jones was forced off during a Premier League International Cup tie against Borussia Dortmund at the Stadium of Light earlier this year, and that injury effectively ruled out a January move.

With clubs lower down the leagues needing immediate impact midway through the season, there has been reluctance to sign a player currently unavailable. Inside Sunderland, there is acceptance that he needs regular senior football to kickstart the next stage of his career.

A permanent move later this year is a possibility. His contract expires this summer, though Sunderland hold an option to extend it by 12 months.

There is support within the hierarchy for a move that best serves his development, and Jones is highly regarded at the Academy of Light. Head coach Régis Le Bris rates him and pushed last summer for him to stay despite loan interest, partly to provide cover during AFCON and in case of an injury crisis.

Source: Sunderland Echo