Sunderland's Nigerian wonderkids Joel Asoro and Josh Maja may return to the English Premier League in the near future, according to reports.

The Daily Mail has reported that Newcastle have sent scouts to check on Sunderland pair Joel Asoro and Josh Maja in recent matches amid uncertainty over their future at the club.

Both Asoro and Maja will be available as free agents at the end of the 2018-2019 campaign if they do not sign the new deals which they have been offered.

The Magpies face competition from Arsenal and Watford for the two offensive-minded players, who are regarded as being among the most promising young talents in the Championship.

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Asoro is the youngest player of Nigerian descent to debut in the English Premier League, aged 17 years and 117 days, when he came on in the 81st minute of Sunderland's 2-1 loss to Middlesbrough on August 21, 2016.

On the international stage, the Nigerian Federation are monitoring the progress of the duo with a view to a call-up to the Super Eagles after the World Cup, and Maja was invited to train with the national team in March last year but club commitments prevented him from honoring the call-up.

While Asoro has played 22 matches in the second-tier, Maja has 15 appearances to his name due to a knee injury he suffered in pre-season.

Igho Kingsley

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