Bailey Wright looks to be entering his final two weeks as a Bristol City player but the Australian centre-back will have options across the EFL when his contract expires on June 30.
The 27-year-old is expected to leave Ashton Gate at the end of the month, which was hinted as much by head coach Lee Johnson in May when he stated that only Niki Maenpaa, Korey Smith and Ashley Williams had been offered short-term extensions.
City had a quintet of first-team players whose deals expired at the end of June but there's no indication of any fresh talks with Wright and forward Matty Taylor, who has spent the season on at Oxford United.
Sunderland remain keen on bringing Wright back to the Stadium of Light after his brief but successful loan spell in which he brought a sense of composure to the Black Cats defence before sustaining an ankle ligament injury.
On Wednesday, Sunderland confirmed that senior centre-backs Alim Ozturk and Joel Lynch, plus fellow defender Jack Baldwin, would be exiting the club on June 30, indicating the arrival of a replacement in the coming weeks.
Ozturk started 20 league game this season and Lynch 14, sharing partnerships with first-choice Jordan Willis, who was under consideration from Bristol City last summer when he left Coventry City, or in a back three.
Of course, the financial landscape of League One in the wake of the EFL shutdown due to Covid-19 could affect negotiations as Wright would command a wage that would likely be in the higher echelons of earners at Sunderland.
However, Wright has moved to the north east and has undertaken his rehab in the region, keeping in close contact with manager Phil Parkinson.
He remains among Sunderland's primary transfer targets as they look to try and build a successful squad for 2020/21 after two challenging campaigns in England's third tier.
