Sunderland will play Championship football again next season and boss Alex Neil is now on the hunt for a new striker to sign up for the Black Cats ahead of the new campaign.

Troy Parrott of Tottenham was one name that had been linked with a switch to the Stadium of Light but reports today have emerged suggesting the player won't be moving to Sunderland and will instead be heading to divisional rivals Preston.

It'll be a blow for the Black Cats to see one of their transfer targets head elsewhere in the Championship and leaves the club now scouring the transfer market for another potential striking option.

Here then, are three potential alternatives that Sunderland could target instead of Parrott.

1. Thomas Cannon - Everton

If the club want a player who can come into the team and potentially thrive given the opportunity in more regular first-team action, then the side could look to Thomas Cannon at Everton.

At 18-years-old, the player is not the oldest and hasn't got a lot of experience in competitive football yet. He's been excellent for the Toffees and their reserve side though, slotting in eight goals in 17 starts for their youth side last season.

He has the goalscoring touch then and whilst he might not be used as frequently as Parrott perhaps might have been, that might not be a worry for Alex Neil. He already has Ross Stewart who fired in often enough in League One last season and the youngster could be a very solid rotation option on a short-term loan deal.

2. Conor Chaplin - Ipswich

If Sunderland and Alex Neil want a more permanent option upfront, then they could look to try and strike a deal for Ipswich's Conor Chaplin.

He joined the Tractor Boys in 2021 and bagged a total of nine goals in 24 games last time around, with a further three assists in League One. That led to a total of 0.49 goals or assists per 90, which is not a bad record at third tier level.

With the club still in League One and the side able to sign up some replacements thanks to a relatively healthy budget, they could swoop and sign the forward if they make a big enough bid. It wouldn't break the bank to snap up Chaplin but the stumbling block is that the Tractor Boys would likely want a fairly sizeable six-figure fee at the very least for the player.

3. Donis Avdijaj - TSV Hartberg

Clubs in the EFL are increasingly looking abroad when they can to try and snap up some diamonds in the rough or hidden talents from somewhere that isn't England.

If Sunderland and Alex Neil want to try and take more of a risk with a forward signing, then they could look to Donis Avdijaj who currently plays football in Austria for TSV Hartberg. He's played around the world in his career so far and at 25-years-old is still a good age.

Last season, the player bagged five goals in 16 games which wasn't a bad turnaround at all and with the new season having already begun, the striker has picked up where he left off and bagged two goals in the first game back too.

He can play across the forward line and in a more central role and that would allow Neil to utilise him pretty much anywhere he sees fit at the Stadium of Light in their strikeforce. He might cost a pretty penny too but it likely wouldn't break the bank for him and with a work permit possible, it could be worth having a look at the player.