Sunderland have confirmed the loan of a 20-year-old youth prospect to a non-league team.
Kelechi Chibueze has rejoined Consett AFC on loan until the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.
The goalkeeper joined the non-league side on a one-month loan in January, but the deal was not extended, and Chibueze returned to Sunderland, where he played for the club’s under-21s after rejoining the Academy of Light.
However, the shot-stopper has already returned to Consett, and Sunderland’s academy boss Robin Nicholls explained that the opportunity was a good one for the player at this time of his development.
“Kel has had a very high number of training sessions this season and is someone who is able to train across a number of different groups,” Nicholls said in a statement. “This is another good opportunity for Kel to get some minutes under his belt following a strong performance for the U21s this week versus Man City.”
Chibueze was born in London and joined Leicester City in 2020 after progressing through the development ranks of Premier League heavyweights Chelsea before joining Sunderland last summer. Chibueze, who is also of Nigerian heritage, has primarily competed in the Premier League’s under-18 and under-21 divisions, and he has four England under-16 caps.
The 20-year-old’s contract with the club is slated to expire in June, but Sunderland has the option to extend the term for another year if they chose to trigger that condition.
Sunderland’s next Championship game is against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday at the Stadium of Light, with Mike Dodds’ team hoping to avoid a sixth consecutive defeat.
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