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Sunderland are keen on signing Matija Frigan and are in talks with KVC Westerlo over a deal in the winter market.

On Friday, Germanijak reported the Championship side are negotiating with Westerlo for a loan deal with a conditional obligation of €15m if the Black Cats return to the Premier League. Belgium’s Gazet van Antwerpen backed it up a day later.

At the weekend, Gol Dnevnik said Sunderland are offering €6-7m in compensation, while other claims have stated the figure is €15m.

Sportske Novosti now provides more clarity on the fee and the negotiations between the Belgian club and Régis Le Bris’ side for the 21-year-old.

Sunderland want to sign the forward on loan with a mandatory option of €15m if they secure a promotion to the top division. The report states they will also pay a loan fee to the Jupiler Pro League side.

Westerlo will have to look for a replacement if the Croatia U21 international were to leave and it wouldn’t make sense for them to have him back if Sunderland continue in the Championship next season.

Therefore, they want Sunderland to buy Frigan for a lower price of €7m should they fail to return to the Premier League. The report claims this is the key detail, and it’s the subject of the talks between the two clubs.

Sportske Novosti state Frigan is ‘close to moving’ to the Stadium of Light, which indicates Sunderland and Westerlo should be able to agree a deal for his transfer.