Sunderland have drafted up a shortlist of striker targets they want to sign this month.
The main issue that has plagued Sunderland so far this term has been the lack of goals from their strikers.
In the summer, Tony Mowbray looked to have addressed that area by bringing in Luis Semedo, Nazariy Rusyn, Eliezer Mayenda and Mason Burstow.
However, none of them have hit the ground running at the Stadium of Light.
While Jack Clarke has scored 12 goals from the left flank, Rusyn is the only striker who has scored for Sunderland and it took him till New Year’s Day, netting in the 2-0 victory over Preston North End.
The club are keen on securing the signature of a more experienced forward, who can supplement the four that were brought in during the summer.
Sunderland have so far been linked with Fulham striker Jay Stansfield and Hearts goal-machine Lawrence Shankland while Bournemouth target man Kieffer Moore is the latest name doing the rounds.
It has been revealed that Sunderland have held preliminary talks over a potential move for Moore with Michael Beale waiting on the Cherries to decide his future.
The 31-year-old currently heads the list of targets that includes Blackburn Rovers striker Sam Gallagher, as reported by the Northern Echo.
Would Sam Gallagher be a good signing?
Gallagher is an experienced Championship who has made 248 appearances at this level.
A physical striker, who does a lot of unselfish work for his team, Gallagher has never been a prolific forward and those are the words Sunderland supporters won’t want to hear.
Across his career at Blackburn, he’s made 214 appearances and only scored 45 goals.
His best season in the second tier came in the 2016/17 campaign with Rovers, but he still only managed 11 goals in 43 appearances.
Unlike Moore – who has plundered 39 strikes in his last 94 appearances in the Championship – Gallagher’s clinical edge is blunted in front of goal and he’s endured a difficult campaign this term.
The 28-year-old has suffered from multiple injury setbacks, appearing just five times the second tier while he hasn’t made a Rovers squad since a 2-1 defeat against Middlesbrough in September.
When he is fully fit, he can be a menace by pinning defenders, dominating aerially and running in-behind.
During his time under the management of Tony Mowbray, he described him as a “monster of a boy who can run like the wind with a rocket in his boots”.
Unfortunately, Gallagher hasn’t fitted Mowbray’s description as much as he would have liked and if Sunderland want their striker to score more goals, the Southampton academy graduate isn’t someone they should be turning to.