But Celtic have completed a deal to sign him.
Fraser Forster is the undisputed number one for the Hoops, with his form earning him a spot in the England squad for this summer's World Cup in Brazil.
The 31-year-old has not played professionally for two years following his release by the Black Cats in 2012 following a series of arm and knee injuries.
Celticstatement: "Celtic have signed goalkeeper Craig Gordon on a two-year contract with the club having the option of a third year.
"The 31-year-old keeper, who formerly played with Hearts and Sunderland and who has 40 Scotland caps, will immediately jet out to Austria to join Ronny Deila and his new Celtic team-mates at their pre-season base."
Gordon began his career with hometown club Hearts, where he won a Scottish Cup, and his performances earned him a £9million move to Sunderland in 2007, then a British record fee for a goalkeeper.
A knee injury sidelined him for three months in the 2008/09 campaign and the following season a broken arm saw him miss a further 12 weeks.
Gordon acknowledges it has been a long road back to fitness but he is now eager to prove himself once more at the top level.
"I set myself, a year ago, where I could get back to the point where I could give myself the opportunity to prove myself all over again," he told Sky Sports News. "That's the stage I'm at now. I look forward to that challenge.
"I've got myself to a position where I can play now and hopefully that's all behind me and I can forget about it and just concentrate on playing football."