Sunderland have been linked with a move for 31-year-old Ricky Holmes, currently at Sheffield United, but is he the sort of player they should be looking to sign? 

Holmes spent half of last season at Charlton Athletic in League One, the same division the Black Cats now find themselves in.

As they build a team capable of bouncing back at the first attempt, they'll need players with experience of the division for sure.

He secured a switch to Bramall Lane in January, but five appearances later he hasn't broken through for Chris Wilder's side - So should Sunderland step up their interest in the 5ft 8in winger?

A FLW Spotlight should help to make their decision:

Holmes had previously played for Chris Wilder at Northampton, which was perhaps the main motivation behind his move, but he had also impressed at the Valley as Charlton looked to push into the play-off hunt.

He made 23 appearances for the Addicks, 22 of which were starts.

That came as Karl Robinson looked to push them into the top-six, a job that Lee Bowyer finished after Holmes departed.

He was effective in the red of Charlton, scoring six times and adding six assists.

The Black Cats will need goals, but they'll also need creativity.

Six assists is a good total from 22 starts and if they secure deals for striking targets identified, good service will be essential.

He went 331 minutes between each goal, but a winger isn't there to score.

Had he remained with Charlton he would likely have hit double figures, impressive from out wide and better than many so-called striker manage.

He also picked up six bookings, is there a questionable temperament there? Or is it more a case of a combative player not afraid to get stuck in?

We believe it is the latter and that makes him a rare breed for a winger - tough as well as good on the ball.

There's not a lot to dislike about Holmes, certainly not from a Sunderland angle.

He has the necessary experience, the numbers all look good and he could complement what they already have.

The question is would Wilder let his former Cobblers star go?