League One Transfer News: Sunderland ‘closing in’ on defender signing as Sheffield United reportedly lead way ahead of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur for Fleetwood Town ace

Here is all the latest transfer gossip from the Stadium of Light and beyond:

Black Cats ‘closing in’ on Hume signing

According to Football Insider, Sunderland are ‘closing in’ on the signing of defender Trai Hume from Linfield.

The report suggests that Sunderland have submitted a bid worth in excess of £200,000 for the Northern Ireland Under-21 international and that Hume was in attendance during Sunderland’s victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

Hume’s boss at Linfield David Healy spoke about the prospect of the defender leaving in January, saying: “I would imagine so if somebody is going to agree terms with the football club.”

Healy added: “Trai is only going to get better, he’s getting stronger, he’s getting fitter and if he can add a little bit more quality in the final third the sky’s the limit for him.”

Another deal close at Bolton

Fresh off the back of completing the signing of Accrington Stanley’s Dion Charles, Bolton Wanderers are close to adding another player to their squad.

Ian Evatt revealed to the Manchester Evening News that another deal is ‘more or less agreed’ and that they are expected to join the team this week:

“We’ve got another one that’s more or less agreed which hopefully will be in on Monday to play on Tuesday and then we’ve identified probably three more that we’d like to bring in which will help us and make us better.”

Blades hold ‘advantage’ in chase for Hill

Fleetwood’s James Hill could be at the centre of the transfer saga of the winter window in League One with a plethora of teams reportedly interested in tempting him away from Highbury Stadium.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have all been credited with an interest in the defender, however, it is Sheffield United who are believed to be the front-runners for the deal.

This is because Matt Hill, James’s father, played for the Blades at the end of his career with United hoping that this family tie could help them convince the defender, who turns 20 next week, to join up at Bramall Lane.

Hill had been a regular at Fleetwood at the beginning of the campaign but has been missing since early-November due to injury.

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