According to Sky Sports, Sunderland are in talks with Bury to sign James Vaughan after an initial £900k bid for the striker.

Simon Grayson is looking to bolster his forward line ahead of Sunderland’s return to the Sky Bet Championship, and has identified Vaughan as the man to replace Jermain Defoe, who has left the North East for AFC Bournemouth.

Defoe bagged 15 of Sunderland’s 29 Premier League goals last season, and his departure, along with Fabio Borini’s move to AC Milan, has left Grayson’s attack looking bare this summer.

Vaughan was in exceptional form for Bury in League One last season, and after a difficult start to the campaign with Birmingham City, the striker never looked back after sealing a move to Gigg Lane.

The 28-year-old was influential for Bury in their fight for survival in the third-tier, scoring 24 league goals across the season, including four in a magnificent display against Peterborough in January.

Bury finished 19^th in League One, just one-point outside the relegation zone, and without Vaughan, the Shakers would have found themselves in deeper relegation trouble.

It is not just Vaughan’s form over the last 12-months that will impress Sunderland and Grayson, as the striker has previously excelled in the Championship for Huddersfield Town.

The striker scored 31 goals from 86 appearances for the Terriers between 2012 and 2016.

Sunderland fans… Do you want to see Vaughan at the Stadium of Light next season? Let us know your thoughts!