Sunderland have had a respectable start to the season so far, finding themselves sat in 5th-place of the League One table after their opening 18 games.
Lee Johnson is currently in his first full-season as manager of the Black Cats, and his side sit just three points off top spot with a game in hand despite some rocky performances over the end of October.
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In typical Johnson fashion, Sunderland have endured quite a streaky campaign so far. A string of poor results against Portsmouth, Charlton, Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday (mixed with a win versus Crewe) saw supporters grow increasingly frustrated, after an absolutely blistering start to the season.
The club’s fan-base, as always, are expecting the team to return to the second tier. With top spot in touching distance, January could provide a much-needed boost to Johnson’s side.
Here we look at the Sunderland transfer rumours ahead of the winter transfer window:
The Black Cats’ boss has admitted to the possibility of signing free agents in January, as reported earlier this week Sunderland are going to need bodies in through the door if they want to mount a convincing promotion charge, especially with an injury crisis slowly manifesting at the club.
On Monday, Pompey boss Danny Cowley revealed that Sunderland were a club interested in Millwall right-back Mahlon Romeo during the summer, before his loan move to Fratton Park. If the right offer came in, could we see the right-back move permanently to Wearside?
In terms of departures, centre-back Tom Flanagan is reportedly being watched by a trio of Championship clubs. Bristol City, Preston and Middlesbrough are all in the race to sign the 30-year-old, with his contract set to run out at the end of the campaign.
If the injury list begins to pile up throughout the winter, January may prove to be a busy period for Johnson’s side. At the moment there are few specific names being linked with Sunderland, but keep an eye out for both free agents and loan-listed defenders over the coming weeks.
