JUST IN: The BBC claimed this morning that Dan Neil’s Sunderland status was clarified following the sharing of a crucial contract development. However.

Dan Neil’s Sunderland situation explained after significant contract development shared

Sunderland remain hopeful that they can agree a new contract with Dan Neil despite the midfielder turning down an opening offer from the club.

Neil was a huge positive in an otherwise disappointing campaign for the Black Cats, performing superbly across the 46-game campaign. He is known to have a number of top-tier admirers and has been regularly scouted over the last couple of campaigns. As such, Sunderland have moved this summer to try and secure him to a new, long-term deal – but the 22-year-old is at this stage unwilling to commit.

The Black Cats are keen to continue talks and are well protected in terms of any transfer interest that does materialise this summer, as Neil still has two years to run on the new contract he agreed last summer. It would therefore take a huge offer to convince them to part with a player who they see as being a key part of the core of the team next season. They will be aware nevertheless that as with Jack Clarke, his value will only decrease moving forward if new terms are not agreed and he begins to head into those final windows of that contract. At this stage, Sunderland remain hopeful it will not to come that.

It is undoubtedly a development that throws further focus on the club’s protracted search for a new head coach, however, with some reports saying the uncertainty over the direction of the team is one of the factors in Neil’s current decision. Chris Rigg is another player understood to be waiting for developments before he makes a decision over his future at the club, and as it stands there may be other players in a similar boat. Sunderland chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus said last Friday that a decision was ‘imminent’ and the process is now in its final stages.