Will Grigg: Sunderland sign striker from Wigan for £4m

Sunderland have signed Northern Ireland striker Will Grigg for £4m from Wigan.

The Football Association has ratified the transfer after the Black Cats' eighth bid for Grigg was accepted very close to Thursday's transfer deadline.

Grigg, 27, has won promotion from League One three times and scored 17 goals in the third tier as Wigan went up to the Championship last season.

"The club desperately wanted to keep Will but this is an offer we couldn't refuse," said Wigan boss Paul Cook.

"This comes with so much emotional attachment because Will is so popular with our supporters and is somebody who has given everyone associated with the club so many great moments during, not just my time as the club's manager but throughout his three and a half years at Wigan Athletic."

Grigg has an excellent record in League One, having scored 62 goals in his past three full seasons, and won promotion to the second tier twice with Wigan and once with Milton Keynes Dons.

But he has not been as prolific in the Championship, scoring four goals this season for the Latics and only one since the end of August.

He has scored twice in 13 appearances for Northern Ireland, his last goal for his country coming in a 2-1 Uefa Nations League loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina in September.

Grigg was in Michael O'Neill's squad for Euro 2016 but did not play in France despite becoming a cult figure around Europe after fans sang "Will Grigg's on fire" to the tune of Gala's mid-1990s hit Freed From Desire.

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