2 transfers Sunderland simply must prioritise between now and the end of the January window

The transfer window has mere hours left before it slams shut on Thursday evening – and Sunderland fans will be hoping that the club manage to force some deals over the line to strengthen their promotion bid in the second half of the season.

The Black Cats haven’t signed anyone at present, though a potential deal for Leeds’ young defender Leo Hjelde seems imminent, with reports stating that the former Celtic man is set to move to Wearside in a £2million deal.

Yet, barring that move being confirmed, Sunderland still need improvements in a couple of areas – and with Michael Beale aiming to properly get on side, Football League World takes a look at two players the Black Cats could prioritise before the window shuts.

The Black Cats have been in need of a striker for quite some time this season. There is too much of a reliance on winger Jack Clarke to create moments of magic, and with Mason Burstow only scoring his first goal of the season at the weekend against Stoke, there needs to be a talismanic figure at the Stadium of Light to spearhead the attack.

Naziriy Rusyn, Burstow, Luis Semedo and Eliezer Mayenda only have two strikes between them in over forty combined appearances, so someone with a wealth of experience coming into the ranks would certainly help their cause – especially in a such a young team not only in the front line, but throughout the squad.

Moore has long been linked with a move to the Championship side, although various sides have been touted with a move for the Welsh international, with The Athletic stating that Cardiff City and Ipswich Town have also registered their interest in signing the Bournemouth star. But with Beale vying for a striker to come into the mix, Moore would make perfect sense.

In Moore’s last three Championship seasons, he’s registered 39 goals; and with Premier League experience since then, there’s every chance that the 31-year-old could improve that goal record on his return to the second-tier.

Reports earlier in the week suggested that Sunderland had made an approach to take Barnsley man Callum Styles on a loan-to-buy deal, with the Hungarian international still plying his trade in League One.

Styles has worked his way up the football pyramid after starting out at Bury, before his move to Barnsley in 2018 saw him become a key player at Oakwell. Overall, including a loan spell at Millwall, the midfielder has made 125 appearances at second-tier level, and it’s quite the shock that he ended up dropping down to the third-tier with no club making a move to snap him.

However, Sky Sports reported last week that Styles was under the watchful eye of Beale and ‘advanced talks’ were underway, with the Burnley academy product registering five goal contributions in 20 games so far this season in League One for the Tykes.

His contract expires at the end of next season, which could make him a key target for a number of teams in the future – especially given that he’ll only be 25 when that deal ends. It could be imperative that Sunderland make him their permanent man in the coming days before other clubs could rival them at the end of the season.

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