League One sides Sunderland are in talks with Scottish giants Rangers about the signing of an as yet unnamed player, according to Football Insider.

A recent upturn in form has seen Phil Parkinson's side close the gap on the third-tier play-off places to just a single point, and the club are now looking to strengthen in the current transfer window in order to maintain that push for promotion.

According to the latest reports, that has seen them turn their attention to Ibrox, with the Black Cats said to have made their move in a bid to secure a deal for a member of Rangers' first-team squad.

Although the identity of that player has yet to be fully confirmed, one name that has been suggested as potentially being in line for a move to the Stadium of Light is Greg Docherty.

The central midfielder has made just five appearances for Rangers this season, none of which have come in the Scottish Premiership, where Rangers are currently two points behind league leaders Celtic, with a game in hand.

Manager Steven Gerrard has revealed that he is willing to allow some of Rangers' fringe players to leave this month, as he looks to reduce numbers and costs in what is now a sizeable squad.

As well as Docherty, it is also thought that defender Matt Polster, midfielder Glenn Middleton and striker Jamie Murphy are among those who will be allowed to leave Glasgow in the current transfer window.

The Verdict

This is an interesting one.

Without knowing exactly who the player is, it is hard to know just how good a deal Sunderland could be getting here.

Even so, the size and profile of the club they are coming from means they should at the very least have the potential to make an impact at the Stadium of Light, since they will have had to shown a decent level of quality to secure themselves a move to Rangers in the first place.