With news of a takeover deal being agreed breaking over Christmas, the winds of change certainly appear to be blowing on Wearside. 

Indeed, now Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is set to become the Black Cats' chairman in January, hopefully a new era is ready to dawn for a club who've suffered so much in recent years. 

Still, perhaps January could come too soon. 

According to the Sunderland Echo, fans should expect a relatively quiet transfer window next month. 

While the idea of shopping in the short-term market has previously been reported despite wider plans to improve Sunderland's recruitment strategy, there may not be much movement in terms of experienced first-team players.

League One salary caps are understood to be a reason for that but Lee Johnson is thought to have wiggle room in terms of funds and wages, with shopping in the under-21 market said to be more likely. 

GIVEMESPORT's Jonathan Gorrie says...  

When The Athletic took a deep dive into Louis-Drefuys' likely plans in charge of Sunderland, they reported of how he was looking at this like a sensible project, rather than glamorous spending. 

So, this kind of approach would fit in with that which, while not as exciting, could be good for Sunderland. After all, given the problems behind the scenes over the years, a sense of calm and diligent planning may be required in order to right some of the previous wrongs.