Paddy McNair to Sunderland: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More

Sunderland confirmed the signing of Manchester United centre-back Paddy McNair on Thursday, with the Northern Irishman penning a four-year deal at the Stadium of Light.

The Wearside club relayed the news on their official Twitter feed, also reporting the capture of defender Donald Love from United:

The Black Cats' statement confirmed the combined fee for the pair at £5.5 million. Per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, Sunderland paid £5 million for McNair and £500,000 for Love.

The pair will work under former United manager David Moyes at Sunderland, with the club statement providing reaction from the new boss:

"Paddy is a young, athletic player who is improving all the time. He has experience for Northern Ireland and we want to bring as many international players to the club as we can. Donald comes highly recommended and is another young player who I hope can develop and improve here."

Per Bleacher Report UK, McNair and Love are not the first defenders to make the switch from Old Trafford to Sunderland:

The 21-year-old McNair only made his senior debut for the Red Devils after Moyes' humbling 10-month spell at Old Trafford—Louis van Gaal gave him his debut in September 2014—but the Scotsman will no doubt be familiar with the player who was in the youth ranks during his time in Manchester.

Despite impressing in his first few matches for United, McNair had fewer opportunities last term under Van Gaal, making only eight Premier League appearances compared to 20 in 2014-15, per WhoScored.com.

The arrival of manager Jose Mourinho and centre-back Eric Bailly at Old Trafford this summer looked set to limit his playing time even further, and McNair has long been expected to depart this summer.

He will get much more playing time at Sunderland as Moyes looks to build a team that will not be dragged into a relegation battle as they were last season.

Per the Telegraph's James Ducker, the youngster remains an exciting talent, his concentration levels and comfort on the ball often belying his 21 years:

He can also play as a central midfielder, and that versatility could prove useful to Sunderland and Moyes.

Mourinho has historically liked a smaller squad to work with, which is why he has decided to dispense with McNair. United have also done well out of the deal, per the Manchester Evening News' Rob Dawson:

McNair will relish the opportunity to prove himself at Sunderland on a weekly basis and should be a major asset for the Black Cats in the 2016-17 season.