Sunderland, League One promotion rivals Wigan Athletic and Championship side Preston North End linked with striker swoop

Football Insider report Preston North End and Wigan Athletic are also keeping tabs on the striker ahead of the January transfer window.

They report: “The Bohemians forward, 25, is a free agent after finishing as the Republic of Ireland’s Premier Division’s top scorer with 26 goals in all competitions.”

Meanwhile, Denver Hume is closing in on a return to action at Sunderland.

Lee Johnson has revealed that the full back has been back in full training this week and is feeling strong after his recent ankle injury.

While not yet fully committed, Johnson’s comments suggested that the 23-year-old could well feature over the next two away games against Ipswich Town and Arsenal.

Hume has not featured for Sunderland since sustaining an ankle injury in the Carabao Cup win over QPR in October.

"The really good news is that Denver is not a million miles away.”

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