Reports today claim he is being lined up by Rangers as a potential replacement for top scorer Kris Boyd, who is poised to join Birmingham.

But agent Stephen Hughes told BBC Sport: “I have heard nothing. We are not engineering anything.

“I spoke to Sunderland earlier this week, and nothing was mentioned.”

Despite finding himself frozen out at the Stadium of Light, November saw Healy express his desire to stay and fight for his place at Sunderland.

However, his status as Northern Ireland’s first-choice striker could be threatened if he fails to make the breakthrough.