Sunderland AFC news: Tony Mowbray explains striker search next steps after transfer talk with Speakman

Sunderland's senior staff held a transfer summit after the club's Carabao Cup exit - and Tony Mowbray believes now is the time to move on a striker target.

Mowbray's side played without a number nine against League Two side Crewe Alexandra and delivered a laboured performance, drawing 1-1 before losing the penalty shootout.

Sunderland's head coach says the club know the importance of landing the right striker target this summer, but with just 19-year-old Hemir currently fit and available, he has stressed the need for a resolution.

“We’ve been talking about strikers and recruitment, and hopefully that will change over the next few days," Mowbray said.

"We need to try to put some players into the football club if we can.

“We are discussing things. There’s always options, and the recruitment department have done an amazing job over the last few years at this football club. The options are laid out. Some are pretty expensive, some are pretty doable, and some are stretching us to where we don’t really want to go to at this minute.

“What do we do? The club will make the right decision, I’m sure. We need to back Stuart Harvey. He works extraordinarily hard, and he’s given us the options. We’ll sit there with Kristjaan, and with Veno [Mark Venus] and the two Mikes, Proctor and Dodds, and the goalkeeping coach, and we’re discussing the next option, really.

“Are we going to bring one in? Is he the right one? You need to get the right one, but you might have to wait for the right one, so are we going to go weeks and weeks, and then it falls through?

“I think the best thing is to get one in the building now. Then let’s work with him.

“I’m not sure we’re in the market to get the finished article. I think we’re in the market to sign young footballers that all need polishing up, so I don’t think we’ll be getting the finished article, but still, let’s get one more in the building and get to work.”

Sunderland's lack of cutting edge was on show again at the Stadium of Light and while the lack of a striker is the most obvious problem, Mowbray did also point out that a slightly disjointed starting XI also played a part.

"I think the core of the team is there and it's OK, and you saw that against Crewe when we began to bring those more established players on," he said.

"I think you get stability right from the back really, a team is a team when they understand how to control from deep, and then assess how a team is pressing you and so how you then have to build. We've done a lot of work over the last 11 months on trying to get them to understand that and sometimes it can be difficult in games like this where you're bringing in players who you haven't worked with that closely. Understandably they don't quite see the pictures and it just gets a bit frustrating. But we're trying to give experiences to young players and the turnaround from Sunday evening meant it was too tight to gamble on some players."