After suffering a narrow aggregate defeat in the play-off semi-final last Saturday at the hands of Lincoln City, Sunderland will now need to prepare for another year in the third-tier of English football.

Whilst the Black Cats did deliver an improved performance in this particular fixture, the damage was already done from an underwhelming display in the first-leg.

With a host of players set to be out-of-contract next month, it will be intriguing to see whether Sunderland manager Lee Johnson decides to launch an overhaul of his squad.

Whereas the likes of Charlie Wyke and Aiden McGeady both illustrated last season that they were capable of setting League One alight with their attacking escapades, there is no guarantee that either of these players will sign new deals at the Stadium of Light.

Therefore, with Sunderland potentially needing to bolster their attacking options during the upcoming transfer window, it is hardly a surprise that they were recently linked with a move for St Johnstone forward Guy Melamed.

A report by Football Insider in March suggested that the Black Cats were keeping tabs on the 28-year-old who was also attracting interest from fellow League One sides Ipswich Town and Portsmouth.

In a fresh update, Melamed has revealed that although he is aware of interest from Sunderland and Ipswich, he has yet to make a decision on his future despite the fact that his current deal at the Saints expires next week.

Speaking to the Daily Record, the forward said: "I heard from my agent.

"He told me there was interest [from Sunderland and Portsmouth].

"It's very flattering to me.

"I'll have to sit down with my agent and look at all the proposals.

"I will return home.

"I will be with my family.

"I will enjoy some of the time in my country because I have not been there for many months.

"I will examine the proposals and decide what is the best place for me."

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

When you consider that Melamed has enjoyed a fruitful spell at St Johnstone, it is hardly a shock that he is generating interest from the likes of Sunderland and Portsmouth.

As well as providing 10 direct goal contributions in 23 appearances for the Saints, the forward averaged a WhoScored match rating of 6.62 in the Scottish Premiership.

Whilst it may be difficult for Sunderland to convince Melamed to move to the Stadium of Light due to the fact that his current club were able to win two domestic honours last season, it could turn out to be somewhat of a coup by Johnson if they can get a deal over the line.

Providing that the Black Cats are able to keep the nucleus of their squad together this summer, there is no reason why they cannot push on in the third-tier next season with Melamed in their side.

Read More – Everything you need to know about the summer transfer window!