Lee Johnson confident he will have some 'headroom' for January additions ahead of transfer summit

The new Head Coach has already said that he hopes to make one or two additions, with an injection of pace into his squad an early priority.

The salary cap rules introduced last summer will present a significant obstacle for the Black Cats, both in terms of capping squad sizes as well as wage spending.

Johnson hopes to have some room for manoeuvre, and the loan market could be one potential avenue.

Dion Sanderson is currently the only loanee in the squad, and players under the age of 21 do not apply towards the cap.

Johnson had success at Ashton Gate in the loan market, with Chelsea's Tammy Abraham one example of a player who thrived under his coaching.

"I believe we've got some headroom and depending on the age of that individual, that will dictate just how much head room there is,” Johnsin said.

“The good news is that we’ve got a lot of good contacts between us at the top clubs, with those good younger players who are U21s.

"I am due to sit down with Jim and Kristjaan next week and after that I'll have a bit more understanding where we are with that.

"Obviously there's ways you can do it.

"You can create it by moving players in and out, you can nurture it by bringing young players up, like Jack Diamond who played well on Tuesday night."

Johnson also stressed that his calls for investment extended well beyond the transfer market.

He identified 'competence, cash and a concept' as the three c's Sunderland need to succeed, and he has stressed that alongside Kristjaan Speakman, it is about making long-term adjustments that will benefit the whole club.

Speakman has already outlined his desire to avoid making too many short-term signings that can hamper the club financially in the long run, a view which Johnson shares.

Both have also already discussed implementing a squad model that ensures there is an even spread of ages throughout, shifting a focus to player development and ensuring there is a focus on youth.

"Also, a lot of stuff doesn't need money," he explained.

"It's not about I need x million to go and bring in players. Sometimes it is about technology, for example. I might be able to develop one individual much better if we spend £500 on a bit of technology.

"I've come from a club, to be fair, where I was allowed to drive that and be one of the biggest innovators in terms of data.

"Things like big pitchside screens to feed information quickly to players, we were the first to have drones up.

"These are the kinds of things I'm talking about.

"It's not throwing money at players who can get us short-term wins, it's about investing in the future of all the people at the club if you like, not just new signings."

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