Sunderland manager Lee Johnson says that he expects the club to complete the signing of two new players next week.
It has been a quiet transfer window so far for the Black Cats, as they look to recover from the disappointment of their League One play-off semi final defeat to Lincoln at the end of last season.
Up until now, the club have made just one signing, with 20-year-old goalkeeper Jacob Carney joining from Manchester United.
However, it appears that Sunderland are also working on a number of other deals, some of which may not be far away from being completed.
Providing an update on the club's pursuit of more new signings, Johnson told The Shields Gazette: “We have actually got four or five current bids on the table for various positions so it’s not like we’re not moving.
“You always look at the transfer market and it's, are they affordable? Are they accessible and are they available?
"So you don’t bid for somebody unless you feel they are affordable accessible and available and obviously it depends on transfer fee.
"Agents fees as well and at the moment, I think agents have been pretty unrealistic with the climate to the levels of percentages they want."
Discussing whether Sunderland are looking at contracted or free agent players, and when deals could start to be completed, Johnson went on to add: “Both. I would say you look at what type of bid you can make, you can make transfer, a trade if you like, you’ve got a free agent that’s on the market that’s been released and you can do a bit more with that one.
"You can get them in, you can give them a thorough medical, you can run them and have a look and then of course you’ve got loan bids. There’s two or three of those.
"Probably more than that to be honest, actually pending, so not a million miles away on probably at least three signings so I’d expect definitely two to come through the door next week."
The Verdict
This does certainly seem to be a promising update from a Sunderland perspective.
Fans always get nervous when their side start slowly in the window, and you feel Sunderland's supporters will be keen to see their side move quickly, given the importance of next season, as they once again try to secure promotion back to the Championship.
As a result, the fact that Johnson is now suggesting that deals could be close does seem to be a positive, given it indicates that the club are making progress towards strengthening the squad.
It will be interesting therefore, to see just who the club might be bringing in over the next week or so, which could make it an exciting few days to be a Sunderland supporter.
