Kristjaan Speakman issues Sunderland transfer update and explains why it's been so quiet so far

Kristjaan Speakman says he remains hopeful that Sunderland will strengthen their squad before the end of the January transfer window.

Sunderland are yet to make a signing since the window opened at the turn of the year, and are targeting cover at left back and a striker as a minimum. Sunderland's sporting director says it has thus far been a slow transfer market across the board, but that he is hopeful that will change over the next week.

He insisted that finances had thus far not been an issue in the window, and that none of the club's primary targets had yet moved elsewhere.

"We've definitely got a couple of priority positions that we've spent a lot of time and focus on, and you've referenced a couple of them there (left back and up front)," Speakman said.

"We're always looking across the squad as you have to do in every window, both for who can complement the team and be in the squad, and those who can come in and complement what we're trying to do as a football club.

"Everyone recognises that the market is slow at the moment, there's been a very small number of deals in the Championship. We've got a couple of permanent offers on the table, a couple of loan offers. We're waiting on other clubs and that's slightly frustrating but you have to respect that if players are registered to other clubs, it's their decision. It's not on our control, it's about timing and squad management for other clubs.

"At the minute, finances aren't stopping us doing anything. It's about needing the market to free up and players to become available - that's where we sit."

Speakman admits that competition for strikers across the division is fierce.

"The players we're enquired about, we'd be one of probably six to eight clubs who've done the same," he said.

"That's where that position is, sometimes you go through times where there's a surplus of players in certain positions in a window. The last couple, we've found that one to be a really difficult one but that's no different to any other football club."