Tony Mowbray has admitted it is ‘unlikely’ that Sunderland will have a new striker in before the weekend.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Black Cats boss confirmed the club have been in discussions as they look to bolster their attack but are yet to make a breakthrough.
Sunderland spent the second half of last season with only one striker after Ross Stewart suffered a serious injury in January and headed into the current campaign in exactly the same situation.
Stewart is unlikely to return to action until late September, while Eliezer Mayenda also picked up an injury shortly after joining the club from Sochaux.
That has left Mowbray with only Luis Hemir Semedo to pick from, with the teenager making his first appearance in competitive football in their Championship opener against Ipswich Town.
The Black Cats are now desperate to add to their frontline and have been severely weakened by the lack of No.9 so far – suffering three successive defeats in all competitions.
However, it looks like fans don’t have too much to be excited about as the club remains on the hunt for a proven goalscorer.
It was recently reported that Sunderland had made a ‘final’ bid of between €2-3 million (£1.7-£2.6m) for Zorya Luhansk striker Nazariy Rusyn, though it is unclear whether the Ukrainian club have responded.
Meanwhile, the Wearside outfit look set to miss out on yet another target, with Preston North End set to land Everton’s Tom Cannon on loan.
Tony Mowbray confirms Sunderland are exploring the loan market
While Sunderland are likely to be aiming to bring in a new striker permanently, Tony Mowbray has admitted they will be looking at the loan market too.
The Black Cats have enjoyed recent success with temporary moves, with the likes of Amad Diallo, Nathan Broadhead and Callum Doyle all making their mark over the past couple of years.
Sunderland’s recruitment team clearly have an eye for young talent in the top flight, however fans will be left frustrated if they are to be left in the same situation next summer where all their loanees have returned to their parent club and they are left to stress over their fresh transfer activity.