Manager Tony Mowbray wants to be reunited with Pritchard and Blues are currently thrashing out a deal with the Black Cats for the 30-year-old playmaker. Pritchard has excelled in the Championship with Brentford, Norwich City and current employers Sunderland, with whom he reached the play-offs last season.

Pritchard scored four goals in 42 league matches for Sunderland last term, and made seven assists for his teammates, before being put up for sale in the summer. There were no takers for Pritchard, much to Mowbray’s surprise at the time. “I’m just amazed the phone hasn’t rang as much as it might have done because he’s a wonderful footballer,” Mowbray said in September.

Pritchard has forced his way back into the reckoning at the Stadium of Light to make 25 appearances this season. Michael Beale – who replaced Mowbray as Sunderland head coach in December – started Pritchard in four successive games at the beginning of January.

However, with no suitable contract offer on the table, things came to a head last week and Pritchard withdrew from their squad to face Stoke City on Saturday. St Andrew’s is expected to be his next destination. Here’s what we know so far…

The transfer trigger

Shortly before Blues played Leicester City in the FA Cup on Saturday, Sunderland released a statement which boosted Blues’ pursuit of Pritchard. “On Friday morning Alex Pritchard informed the club that he was no longer available for selection and he subsequently withdrew from today’s matchday squad. The midfielder also expressed his desire to leave SAFC with immediate effect. The club will be making no further comment at this moment in time.

Mowbray made no secret of his interest in Pritchard when asked about Sunderland’s statement in his post-match press conference. “Let Sunderland get on with their business and wait and see what happens in the next five days,” he said.

“What I do know is Alex Pritchard is a player with personality and character, wonderful ball manipulation and great dead ball skills. We will wait and see how it develops. He is not our player, he is somebody I shouldn’t

Sunderland boss Beale has already come to terms with losing Pritchard. They will secure a small fee for Pritchard before his contract expires in six months and will replace him with Standard Liege winger Romaine Mundle.be talking about I suppose, but we will see how things develop over the next four or five days.”

“It’s been ongoing to be honest, not just the last 24 hours,” Beale said of Pritchard’s impending exit. “He’s a boy who is coming up to the end of his contract and he’s been offered one, I think mentally it has got a bit much for him. Look, we’ve always been looking to strengthen given the players that have gone on loan and the injuries we have. Numbers were really light today and you can see that.