Sunderland's striker situation, Kieffer Moore transfer links and Mason Burstow's Chelsea loan deal

The January transfer window is less than a week old - with names already being bandied about as Sunderland look to strengthen their squad.

While admitting he doesn't expect significant chances this month, Black Cats head coach Michael Beale has said the club are actively looking to make new additions, while sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has hinted they could try to bring in another striker.

With several Championship clubs looking to bolster their attacking options in the coming weeks, Bournemouth striker Kieffer Moore is a player who could be of interest for second-tier clubs. The Sun have claimed the Cherries are ready to sell the 31-year-old frontman, with Cardiff and Middlesbrough said to be interested. The report goes on to say, 'the likes of Leeds, Ipswich, West Brom, Birmingham and Sunderland are all keen on bringing a new forward in the winter window so will likely be aware of Moore’s situation.'

What is Sunderland's striker situation?

Sunderland did sign four new forwards during the summer transfer window and would probably allow one of them to leave, either permanently or on loan, before making another forward addition.

Mason Burstow's future remains uncertain after making just one appearance in Sunderland's last seven league games, with the possibility Chelsea could activate their recall clause in the player's loan agreement. Still, it should be noted Burstow wouldn't be able to play for another club this season after appearing for Chelsea earlier in the campaign. When asked about the striker's situation last week, after Burstow had come off the bench during a 1-1 draw against Rotherham, Beale said no decision had been made on the player's future.

There is also a chance Sunderland will opt to send Hemir Semedo out on loan as they look to provide regular game time for their younger players. While struggling with an illness in recent weeks, the 20-year-old hasn't been named in the Black Cats' senior squad for their last seven matches.

Would Sunderland target a player like Moore? 

While Moore is a proven goalscorer at Championship level, he doesn’t fit the profile of players Sunderland have targeted in the past, with the Black Cats predominantly signing younger assets who are yet to reach their peak.

Moore is also under contract at Bournemouth until the summer of 2025, while his reported wage at the Vitality Stadium would be out of Sunderland’s structure.

What has been said about Sunderland’s targets?

When asked about transfers ahead of Saturday’s Wear-Tyne derby against Newcastle, Beale said: "We spoke about it in our initial meetings and it has been ongoing. Stuart Harvey the head of recruitment is someone I was familiar with before I came in and the recruitment here is done by a number of us getting together in a room and discussing the options that we have. We have a clear idea on one or two of the areas we would like to strengthen this month if we can.”

When discussing when deals could be completed, Beale added: "There have been a lot of discussions going on but nothing concrete as yet so I wouldn't want to put a timeline on it and disappoint, or be accused of pulling the wool over people's eyes if it comes in a bit quicker. At the moment, though, there is nothing imminent."