And the Sunderland boss will no doubt be taking a look at the league above and players who have fallen down the pecking order at their parent clubs.
So which defenders are currently out of favour at their Championship clubs, and could they prove to be realistic targets for Sunderland?
We take a look at some potential options – simply scroll down and click through the pages to see who could be available:
We take a look at some potential options – simply scroll down and click through the pages to see who could be available:
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