Sunderland will be hoping to launch a sustained push for automatic promotion under the guidance of manager Lee Johnson next season following a disappointing end to the previous campaign in League One.

After winning the EFL Trophy in March, the Black Cats were seemingly on course to secure a top-two finish in the third-tier.

However, a drop-off in performance levels eventually culminated in the club suffering defeat in the play-offs at the hands of Lincoln City.

Having now dusted themselves down from this disappointment, it will be intriguing to see whether Sunderland are able to assemble a squad which is capable of reaching new heights in the third-tier.

Whilst Johnson has yet to sign any players this summer, he could be about to bolster his squad if recent reports are anything to go by.

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According to Spanish news outlet Sport Cartagena (as cited by the Sunderland Echo), the Black Cats are reportedly closing in on sealing a deal for FC Cartagena midfielder Giorgi Aburjania.

The Georgian international is set to leave the Segunda Division side this summer upon the expiry of his current contract and has seemingly accepted an offer from Sunderland which will see him make a permanent move to the Stadium of Light.

Johnson is currently short of options in central-midfield following the departures of Max Power, Josh Scowen and Grant Leadbitter and thus Aburjania could provide a solution to this issue.

After joining FC Cartagena earlier this year, the 26-year-old went on to make 13 appearances for the club as he helped them secure a 16th place finish in Spain's second-tier.

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

With FC Cartagena set to part ways with Aburjania, it is somewhat of a shock that the midfielder has been linked with a move to a team who are in the third-tier of English football.

However, if this report turns out to be true, Sunderland could potentially benefit from his arrival if he adapts to life in League One.

As well as making 88 appearances in the Segunda Division during his career, Aburjania possesses a healthy amount of experience at international level as he has been capped on 23 occasions by Georgia.

Whereas it may take the midfielder some time to adjust to the competitiveness on show in the third-tier, there is no reason why he cannot go on to play a key role in helping the Black Cats secure a return to the Championship next year.

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