The Black Cats have only managed to bring in Carl Winchester from Forest Green Rovers as yet, but it would appear that much of their effort in the closing stages of the market will be dedicated to trying to snap up a new striker.
With that in mind, Lee Johnson's men had been in talks for Ross County striker Ross Stewart, according to various sources.
The 24-year-old has hit six goals in 24 outings across all competitions this term, with five coming from the penalty spot.
That relatively meagre return has given him a conversion rate of around 5% – a notable drop off from his tally of 19.4% last season.
As for where his future lies, it would appear that current County manager John Hughes is expecting him to be in demand.
He said: “If a club comes in with a bid of £500,000 then we have a decision to make.”
The Daily Record take a dimmer view of the pursuit, however, and suggest that the Black Cats have been told Stewart is not for sale this month.
Elsewhere, Will Grigg is being heavily linked with a move away from Sunderland in the coming days.
Shrewsbury Town look to be leading the race for the Northern Irishman, but any move to Shropshire is largely dependant on Johnson bringing another striker in, with the manager unwilling to go into the second half of the season with less than four frontmen at his disposal.
But while it would appear that Grigg has settled on his next destination, it isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion.
According to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, the prospect of a return to Wigan Athletic is still on the cards.
When asked on Twitter to put rumours linking the Latics to the 29-year-old to bed, he admitted: “It’s still got a pulse”.
It’s fair to say that Grigg enjoyed much more fruitful times with Wigan than he has at Sunderland.
The forward struck 65 goals in 150 outings for Athletic, and his shot accuracy in last season with the club was 30.6% higher than his average this term.
We’ve gathered the rest of today’s League One transfer speculation, including another Sunderland deal in the offing, below:
1. Maja in demand
Both West Brom and West Ham have made enquiries about Bordeaux's former Sunderland striker Josh Maja. A deal could be done this month. (L'Equipe) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images) Photo: FRANCK FIFE
2. Sunderland in Stewart talks
Sunderland are trying to push through a move for Ross County forward Ross Stewart. The 24-year-old could be key to Will Grigg being allowed to leave the club. (The Northern Echo) (Photo by Paul Campbell/Getty Images) Photo: Paul Campbell
3. Wigan still in Grigg race
Wigan Athletic are still in the running to seal a loan deal for Sunderland striker Will Grigg. (Alan Nixon -The Sun) (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Photo: Stu Forster
4. Shrewsbury Town open Tymon talks
Shrewsbury Town have opened talks to sign Stoke City defender Josh Tymon. The 21-year-old is looking for first team football this month. (Football Insider) (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images) Photo: Nathan Stirk