Sunderland are plotting a transfer swoop for former Fleetwood Town midfielder Kyle Dempsey according to the Daily Mail. 

Dempsey has been a free-agent since leaving Joey Barton's side at the end of the 2019/20 season, and will be weighing up his options ahead of the new league campaign.

The midfielder made 30 appearances for the Trawlermen last season, and it seems as though he could be set for a move to the Stadium of Light in the future.

The Daily Mail also claim that Hull City are interested in signing the 24-year-old though, and it's set to be a closely-fought battle to land his signature after he turned down a new deal with Fleetwood at the end of the season.

The Tigers were relegated into League One after a dismal run of results in the Championship since the turn of the New Year, and they'll be targeting an immediate return to the second-tier.

But Phil Parkinson's Sunderland side are likely to be challenging them for promotion into the Championship, after narrowly missing out on a top-six finish this term.

The Black Cats finished eighth in the League One table last season, after the majority of clubs in the third tier agreed to curtail this year's campaign on a PPG (points per game) basis.

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The Verdict: 

This would be a smart bit of business for either side.

Dempsey has caught the eye with some strong performances for Fleetwood Town in recent seasons, and he'll be a bargain on a free for any team in League One.

Sunderland need players that know how to perform to a high standard at this level if they're to mount a serious challenge for promotion next season.

Dempsey would certainly help them to just that, after narrowly missing out on promotion himself with Fleetwood Town in the 2019/20 season.