Sunderland boss Lee Johnson insists there's no plans to lose midfielder Dan Neil.

Neil is being linked with Aston Villa.

But Johnson says: "He's technically a very good player.

“You see the way he manipulates the ball, and I think he's added another dimension to his game, to be able to drop and drive, and receive the ball and commit players.

“He's got that lovely dribbling technique – a little bit like a young Paul Gascoigne almost in the way he pops and drags it at the same time. As a defender, it's very difficult to commit because the minute you do, he's got the ability to skip by you.

“I do expect to see a couple of slalom-type goals from him this season.

"The hard work starts now, but we look forward to moving on with him in our future."