Norwich City are closing in on a deal to sign Bali Mumba from Sunderland this summer, per The Daily Mail.

The Premier League club are set to pay £500,000 to sign the 18-year-old, who has already made his mark at the Stadium of Light.

A versatile player who can play in midfield or at right-back, Mumba has played 10 times for the club’s first-team.

The fee will likely rise with bonuses but the news will come as a blow to Sunderland.

Indeed, Mumba made his debut at the age of 16, replacing John O’Shea as a substitute, and he is so highly rated that as he entered the field of play, he was handed the captain’s armband.

As a result, he became the club’s youngest ever skipper, but he could now be on his way up the leagues, though Norwich currently sit bottom of the Premier League and are staring down the barrel of relegation.

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

This is the economic reality for Sunderland now.

The club remain mired in League One and they are simply not in a position to reject a bid worth £500,000 for a player who has yet to become a key member of their squad.

Mumba, though, has plenty of potential and could grow into a truly top-class midfielder if given the right coaching and attention.

Still, a move to the Championship, assuming Norwich are relegated, would still be a significant step up for the teenager and would allow him to test his mettle at a higher level.

Norwich will view it as snaffling a talented youngster for a cheap fee; Sunderland will view it as manna from economic heaven.