When reports of a takeover broke late last year, it'd have been easy to forgive sections of the Sunderland support for being excited ahead of the January transfer window. 

Having appointed a new manager and sporting director to boot, a new era may have been expected on Wearside - potentially backed by a billionaire - as the club finally attempt to win promotion out of League One. 

Clearly, things haven't quite worked out like that but reports from yesterday's print edition of The Sun (page 59) do suggest Lee Johnson is trying to work on making space in his squad. 

They claim the club are attempting to shift both Will Grigg and Danny Graham during what remains of this month's window. 

Indeed, Johnson is believed to be on the look out for new blood and may afford both strikers an exit, with Salford understood to be keen on Grigg. 

Graham, meanwhile, only re-signed in September but the report suggests there may be a way to ship him out. 

GIVEMESPORT's Jonathan Gorrie says...

Getting rid of both would presumably free up a lot of wages.

Grigg, of course, was a big-money signing in 2019 while Graham was thought to have only been keen on the move if the Black Cats could find some wriggle room in the salary cup rules, so it's reasonably safe to assume he's towards the higher earners at the Stadium of Light. 

With Charlie Wyke, Chris Maguire, Lynden Gooch, Aiden McGeady and Jack Diamond all available as options in the attacking line, finding takers for either Grigg or Graham must be seen as a boost. 

The two have combined for just 157 minutes of league action (via WhoScored) as well as no goals, so it's not as if Johnson would be missing much. 

In the last few days of the window, freeing up some space would be very good news indeed.