Rumor: Sunderland Targeting Michael Farfan For A January Transfer As He Impresses While On Trial

The Daily Mail, an English news outlet with a dubious record when it comes to sports related rumors, is reporting that Sunderland has Michael Farfan not only in for a trial, but is also trying to get him a work permit. Farfan will train with Sunderland for two weeks, ending on January 24.

Farfan was originally said to be training with the English Premier side yesterday, when Soccer By Ives revealed the midfielder was heading to Tyne and Wear. Nothing more was said about his situation with Sunderland, with the circumstances of his travel to the United Kingdom assumed to be similar to Amobi Okugo's and Zach Pfeffer's in Germany, Zac MacMath in England and Freddy Adu's in Spain.

Instead, the Daily Mail says that Sunderland manager Martin O'Neil is seeking to obtain a work permit for Farfan, meaning that his training period with the Black Cats quickly became a showcase of his talents. However, as the Brotherly Game told fellow SB Nation soccer site Roker Report (Sunderland), the odds of Farfan receiving a Work Permit are slim given the standards that the United Kingdom has for soccer players. Typically a player has to be a highly enough rated national team for about 75 percent of the international squad's games over the course of a couple of years. The process is occasionally changed based upon situations that the Department of Work and Pensions believes warrant it.

The Brotherly Game was informed by a source with knowledge of team plans that the Union will be "selling some young players for profit this year." With Danny Mwanga rumored to be on the trade block ahead of tomorrow's 2012 MLS SuperDraft, and Farfan possibly staying in England, the Union may already be on their way to fulfilling those plans.