Steve Bruce has dropped the biggest hint yet that the Egyptian international Ahmed Elmohamady will be offered a full contract at the close of the current season, once his loan deal ends.
Bruce commented "Ahmed is a little raw, but he will get a lot sharper with experience, when he comes back next season it would not surprise me if he has come on again.
"We will look to get the deal done at the right time, he is tied down to us contractually so there is no-one else who can take him off us.
"We are very happy with the way he has played and we are happy to have him on board."
This along with Elmohamady himself having been quoted several times explaining his desire to stay on at Wearside, adding how much he is enjoying life in the English Premier league.
Bruce went on to say "I did not expect him to make the impact he had because he was still so young when we brought him over.
"He already has 22 caps for his country and he is still only in his early 20s, so you know he has to have something.
"People look down a little on Egypt and I never know why - in the Fifa rankings last year they were ranked ninth in the world.
"Sometimes you have to cut people a little slack and consider what they have to cope with. Ahmed has come over here to a completely different culture and way of life.
"It is his first season in the Premier League and, although he has played right-wing previously, he has spent far more time in that position than he ever has done before."