Sunderland AFC transfers: What fans can expect during January window - at this stage

Sunderland's win over Birmingham City left Tony Mowbray's side well placed heading into the international break, back in the play-off positions in an unsurprisingly competitive Championship field.

With attentions beginning to turn to the January transfer window, we take a look at what Sunderland fans can expect, at this stage at least..

Where do Sunderland currently stand with their January planning?

The work of Sunderland's recruitment team never really stops, with work ongoing right around the year to try and identify the best young talent around the world who may well be available and within the club's budget.

Head of recruitment Stuart Harvey has been overseas regularly in recent months, checking in on potential targets.

The process of honing in on the window starts with player audits, which has already happened on Wearside. In these meetings, the recruitment and coaching staff meet with the sporting director to assess in which positions further strengthening may be required.

From there they begin to try and align those needs with the players who have been identified in the weeks and months previous.

The recruitment and coaching staff can then further assess those players, laying the groundwork to try and get deals done. That closer analysis of potential targets will be stepping up in the days and weeks ahead.

Do Sunderland have funds to invest in the January window?

Yes, though the club have made clear that they will only do so if the right deal is available.

While Sunderland did invest in the squad over the summer window, they recouped a significant fee on deadline day when Ross Stewart's move to Southampton was confirmed.

Indeed, Speakman confirmed to The Echo in the days following the end of the window that they had been active in trying to sign a player for a significant fee pretty much right up to the deadline.

One target was understood to be Estudiantes winger Benjamin Rollheiser.

"We’ve definitely got scope to keep improving, if that’s the question," Speakman said when asked about the winter window in September. "Definitely.

"We wouldn’t want to be fixed on whether that’s the next window or the next [after that], we want to continually improve. It’s about finding the right players at the right moment.

"We had a couple and one player in particular in the last three days who we put significant bids on in South America because we felt that was the right player, but we couldn’t quite get the deal over the line.

"I think the argument is sometimes you just move on to option B but we don’t always see it like that. We might do that, or we might look at option C and see if we can do that one in January. What we have to do is be really diligent in the finances so that we can keep progressing and getting better as a team."

The January window is generally notorious for being significantly more difficult to do permanent deals, but Sunderland will if they feel the right option is there. What has become increasingly clear is that particularly with permanent signings, they will not deviate from focusing on young players with a future resale value, even if they are likely to need time and settle before impacting the first team in a major way. That won't change this time around.

Which positions might they be looking to recruit in?

This is something that may well change between now and January, depending on form and fitness.

Sunderland have at times been light in the full back areas this season, for example, but when everyone is fit they have five very strong options.

Mowbray has already confirmed that the club have discussed the striker situation and whether strengthening is required given the goalscoring struggles the arrivals in the summer window have had. Nazariy Rusyn, Luis Hemir and now fit Eliezer Mayenda will have opportunities before the window opens to prove they can take do the job in the short and longer term. Much will depend on Mason Burstow, whose loan like all season-long deals will be up for review. Thus far he has had decent game time and exposure even if goals have been hard to come by, but Chelsea may want to review the situation if he does not reclaim his place in the starting XI.

One other obvious area where Sunderland will be assessing the market is central midfield. Dan Neil and Pierre Ekwah are huge talents, but the depth beyond them is limited. Again, much will depend on how Jay Matete returns from injury and when the club believe Corry Evans will be ready to compete for a place.

When all are fit, Sunderland have a large squad - so form and fitness may well hold the key to January recruitment.

So are outgoings likely?

Sunderland seem likely to field bids for some of the best young players, and it is course possible that one of those might be so significant that the Black Cats have to consider it. However, Stewart's departure means there is no pressure to sell and as we outlined earlier this week here - the contractual status of the squad means Sunderland are in a strong position. Any major departure seems more likely next summer, depending on how the season pans out.

It is possible that some players in the squad frustrated by a lack of game time might well move on, with competition for places in attacking positions fierce when all are fit.