Sunderland have made their intentions to sign Swansea's André Ayew clear over the past week, as Sam Allardyce attempts to make his squad as strong as possible as they head into the second half of the season.
The Black Cats are in the market for a striker to accompany Jermain Defoe and Ayew has found himself top of the list due to his performances this season, which have seen him be one of the Swans' better players in what has been a difficult and underwhelming season.
Ayew has scored eight goals so far this season and Allardyce is desperate to add him to his squad, so much so that he has offered Swansea £10 million alongside Fabio Borini, who has struggled to make an impact on Wearside.
Caught in the middle
Alan Curtis has previously mentioned his interest in Borini, which could be the main reason for Allardyce using him as part of any deal to land Ayew. However, it appears that the former Liverpool striker is going to be caught in the middle of this transfer situation and he will be hoping he comes out the other end unscathed.
Allardyce has refused to comment on whether his striker is involved in the deal as it would, "Upset Fabio". This is something the experienced manager doesn't want to happen, because if the deal doesn't take place, Borini will still be a member of his squad and he needs his entire team focused to keep the club up.
The Sunderland boss was also hesitant to publicly state his desire to sign Ayew through fear that Swansea could say: "I have upset this player by saying that I actually want him," so right now he is being very careful with his wording.
No deal
Curtis, on the other hand, has been more than happy to discuss the subject and he is adamant that Ayew will not be, "allowed to leave during this window" as he knows how important the Ghanian is to Swansea's relegation battle.
He claimed that any deal involving Ayew was, "wide of the mark" but admitted that Borini's name has, "been mentioned" as a potential new signing, but without Ayew going the other way, it's going to be a tough deal to make happen. It looks like two of the clubs involved in this seasons battle for survival are locked in a stalemate.