Sunderland have reportedly opened negotiations for Baku Sabah defender Bahlul Mustafazade ahead of a move in January.

The Black Cats have made an underwhelming start to the season and are currently outside the play-off places–having kept just two League One clean sheets all season.

The North East club brought in a number of new defenders in the summer, including centre-backs Joel Lynch and Jordan Willis, and full-backs Laurens De Bock and Conor McLaughlin.

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It appears they're planning on strengthening in that area again in January, as, according to Azerbaijani website azerisport.com, they're planning to sign Mustafazade when the transfer window opens.

The report claims that Sunderland and new boss Phil Parkinson are keen on the defender and that preliminary negotiations are already underway ahead of a potential move in January.

It is understood that the 22-year-old's stance on a move to the Stadium of Light is currently not known.

However, it appears the Black Cats may face some competition for the defender, with Bundesliga, Premier League, and Championship sides thought to be interested.

Sabah president Magsud Adygezalov told azerisport.com: "We hear that there is interest in him. But the club has not yet received official proposals, so we can’t comment on anything.

"Naturally, if there are proposals interesting for the club and Bahlul himself, we will definitely consider them."

When pressed on a potential move to Sunderland, Mustafazade said: "Now it’s hard for me to say anything about this. My goal is to play abroad. I’ll do what is best for my career."

The centre-back signed with Azerbaijani top-tier side Sabah in the summer and has made nine appearances this season.

Mustafazade developed through the Azerbaijan age-group sides and has now made four appearances for the senior national team.

The Verdict

This is an interesting one. It makes sense that Parkinson would look to strengthen his backline, given only Southend United have kept less clean sheets in League One, and Mustafazade could be a shrewd addition.

The reported interest from a number of European top-flight clubs would suggest that the 22-year-old is a talented defender but there would undoubtedly be an element of risk involved for the Black Cats.

Mustafazade has just 50 league appearances to his name and there is no guarantee he would settle well in English football.