With the 2021/22 League One campaign set to kick off next month, Sunderland have stepped up their preparations in recent weeks by making several signings.
Jacob Carney will be looking to provide competition in the goalkeeping position following his move whilst Alex Pritchard and Corry Evans will both fancy their chances of making a positive impression in the third-tier.
Callum Doyle recently followed in the footsteps of this trio by sealing a move to Sunderland earlier this month.
The Manchester City loanee will be tasked with filling the void left by Dion Sanderson whose loan deal at the Stadium of Light expired after the club's failure to secure promotion in May.
Not content with these four arrivals, Sunderland manager Lee Johnson is now edging closer to sealing a move for another Premier League prospect.
According to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, the Black Cats are set to complete a loan move for Liverpool left-back Tony Gallacher today.
Sunderland are currently looking to bolster their options in this particular position due to the uncertainty surrounding Denver Hume.
Despite being offered a new contract by the club, the left-back has yet to decide whether he wants to extend his stay at the Stadium of Light.
Since joining Liverpool in 2018 from Falkirk, Gallacher has struggled to make any inroads at Anfield due to the presence of Andy Robertson.
Limited to just one senior appearance for the Reds, the 21-year-old was loaned out by the club last year to Major League Soccer side Toronto FC.
During his time with the Canadian side, Gallacher made 10 appearances for the club before returning to Liverpool.
Used exclusively by the Reds at Under-23 level earlier this year, the defender featured on eight occasions in the Premier League 2 Division 1.
GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...
This could turn out to be a shrewd bit of business by Sunderland as they clearly need to strengthen in this particular area and thus a move for Gallacher makes sense.
Although it may take some time for the defender to adjust to life in the third-tier due to the fact that he has never played at this level before, there is no reason why he cannot go on to thrive under the guidance of Johnson.
Having played a key role in nurturing Sanderson's talent last season, the Sunderland boss will be confident in his ability to replicate this feat with Gallacher.
By backing up this particular signing with moves for players who have an excellent track-record of delivering the goods in this division, Johnson may be able to lead his side to a positive start to the upcoming campaign.
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