Sunderland are tracking Middlesbrough full back Hayden Coulson over a potential loan move to the club.
According to our sister title GazetteLive, the 23-year-old who came through the academy set-up on Teesside has fallen out of favour under Boro boss Neil Warnock, and is believed to be on the Lee Johnson's radar ahead of a potential move to the Stadium of Light this summer.
The Black Cats are in the market for full-backs after Conor McLaughlin and Callum McFadzean were released at the end of the season.
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Johnson is also still waiting to hear back from Denver Hume after he was offered new terms at the Stadium of Light.
Hume was linked with a move to the Riverside this summer, but its believed that Lee Peltier's arrival on Teesside has all but ended Warnock's search for a left back.
However, the injury to Darnell Fisher may see Boro reignite their supposed interest in the out of contract star.
Sunderland's contract negotiations with Hume have been very cloak and dagger since the end of the season, but the Black Cats head coach revealed that talks were ongoing.
Speaking after Sunderland's 2-2 draw with Spennymoor Town, Johnson said: "Denver is ongoing, that one I haven't been too involved in to be honest."
If Sunderland were to make an approach for Coulson, it would fill the void left by Hume, but would not close the door on a return to the club.
It's a move that's likely to benefit all parties with Coulson struggling to nail down a place in the first team since Warnock's arrival.
Coulson has made 29 appearances since breaking into the first team at Boro. The attacking full-back would certainly fit the mould that Johnson is after this summer.
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