As per The Northern Echo, Sunderland are hoping to beat their rivals to the signature of Wigan Athletic’s Viv Solomon-Otabor.
The Lowdown: Solomon-Otabor in demand
Solomon-Otabor, who spent last season in the Championship with the Latics, is in demand in the lower leagues.
Both Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth have been linked with an interest in the 25-year-old, as have newly-promoted Championship side Blackpool.
The Latest: Sunderland hopeful
However, it now appears Sunderland are hopeful of signing the winger.
He has already been offered a deal at the Stadium of Light, and the Black Cats are hopeful Solomon-Otabor will choose a move there instead of elsewhere this summer.
The Verdict: Johnson builds
The previous campaign was a disappointing one for Sunderland. At one point, they looked to be in a fantastic position to earn automatic promotion back to the second tier, but a poor run of form at the end of the season condemned them to the play-offs. There, they lost in the semi-finals to Lincoln City.
As such, this coming season is an important one for the north-east outfit. They are close to agreeing a new deal with Aiden McGeady (The Shields Gazette), and now it seems they are hoping to add the services of Solomon-Otabor. He managed two goals and four assists in 28 Championship matches last time out, and has 11 career goals to his name (Transfermarkt). While he has not yet been prolific, he still looks to be an attractive propisition.
In other news, Kevin Phillips has shared his thoughts on this “massive blow” for Sunderland.