Ex-Sunderland boss delivers verdict over potential reunion with defender at Hibernian

Reports over a departure for Wright in January came largely out of the blue with Aberdeen emerging as one of the potential destinations for the Australian. The Dons are reportedly interested in a loan deal for the 30-year-old, although Tony Mowbray insisted recently that the defender is ‘very much part of his plans’ at the Stadium of Light.

Nevertheless, Wright has fallen down the pecking order at Sunderland and, alongside speculation linking him with a move to Pittodrie, he could also be set for a reunion with former Black Cats boss Lee Johnson.

After coaching the Australian at Bristol City, Johnson brought Wright to Wearside on-loan in January 2020 before making his move into a permanent transfer in the summer. Now at SPL side Hibernian, Johnson has spoken about the potential of a reunion with Wright this month.

Johnson said: “Bails has been my captain twice at two different clubs. He’s a good player. Unfortunately I can’t talk about it because he’s not my player, he’s a Sunderland player.

"We will take the best possible players for the best possible price. We are looking for players who can hit the ground running.

“You don’t want to spend six to eight weeks trying to get someone fit. It’s not an easy window to get that.

“If you are taking someone off a subs’ bench who’s been idle for a while, or a young player who’s maybe not experienced the tempo, or an older player who needs a consistent flow of games then that’s a bit delicate for any club in this window. We need instant impact, not six to eight weeks.”

Wright has fallen down the pecking order at the Stadium of Light and although Mowbray believes the Australian still has a major role to play at the club, he did admit the club are ‘overloaded’ with defensive options. Mowbray said: "What I would say is that if everyone is fit and available, we potentially have an overload of five or six defenders. If I want to play three at the back then one or two makes the bench, if I play with a four then I can't have three sat on the bench.”