Sunderland are weighing up a move for former Everton youngster Morgan Feeney.
The ex-England U19 international centre-back is a free agent after leaving Goodison Park this summer, and is understood to have been training with the Black Cats.
The 21-year-old made two first-team appearances for Everton, making his senior debut from the bench in November 2017 in a Europa League game against Italian side Atalanta, and then starting the following month in the same competition against Cypriot team Ap Limassol.
He joined Tranmere Rovers on loan in January this year but suffered a hamstring injury which restricted him to just a single appearance.
Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson has already brought in two new signings in striker Aiden O'Brien and centre-back Bailey Wright, while another defender Tom Flanagan has signed a new contract with the club following the expiry of his previous contract at the end of June.
But Parkinson still wants to add five more new faces during the transfer window, and the positions he is seeking to cover include centre-back, left-back, goalkeeper, and a striker.
Sunderland's recruitment plans have been hampered by the EFL's imposition of a £2.5m salary cap in League One last week, meaning that some potential targets are no longer affordable given that the club now has a fixed amount of wages that must be divided among any new signings.
However players aged 21 and under are not covered by the salary cap, and Feeney would fall into that category - and that would leave more money in the budget to pay other signings over the age of 21.
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