It's been a fairly quiet summer for Martin O'Neill so far, with only Carlos Cuellar added to the squad to date. Meanwhile, Nicklas Bendtner, Wayne Bridge and Sotirios Kyrgiakos have all returned to their parent clubs after completing their loan spells.
IF THE WINDOW SHUT TOMORROW
(4-4-1-1)
Mignolet
Bardsley, Brown, O'Shea, Richardson
Larsson, Cattermole, N'Zonzi, McClean
Sessegnon
Wickham
The former Aston Villa boss has little-to-no strength in depth up front after the club also sold Asamoah Gyan to Al Ain, and the hole left by Darren Bent's departure still hasn't been properly addressed nearly 18 months further on.
Wolves striker Steven Fletcher and released O'Neill favourite Emile Heskey could both arrive as a result, while Louis Saha remains an attractive proposition on a free, but such is their dire need for strikers, don't be surprised to see two of the afore-mentioned trio approached.
In midfield, genuine pace is needed down the flanks to complement the dead-ball delivery and creative stylings of Sebastian Larsson and Stephane Sessegnon, with Matt Phillips a cheap but cheerful option from Blackpool, while Royston Drenthe could be just the ticket on a free transfer after burning his bridges at Everton.
The Black Cats could also be set to profit from Blackburn's relegation from the top flight last term, with both Martin Olsson and Steven N'Zonzi up for grabs, which would add a degree of depth to a relatively lightweight midfield.
After Craig Gordon was released following an injury-ravaged five-year spell on Wearside, a back-up goalkeeper to Belgian Simon Mignolet is required, with Chris Kirkland a decent outside bet for the club's No.2 spo
IF THE WINDOW SHUT TOMORROW
(4-4-1-1)
Mignolet
Bardsley, Brown, O'Shea, Richardson
Larsson, Cattermole, N'Zonzi, McClean
Sessegnon
Wickham
The former Aston Villa boss has little-to-no strength in depth up front after the club also sold Asamoah Gyan to Al Ain, and the hole left by Darren Bent's departure still hasn't been properly addressed nearly 18 months further on.
Wolves striker Steven Fletcher and released O'Neill favourite Emile Heskey could both arrive as a result, while Louis Saha remains an attractive proposition on a free, but such is their dire need for strikers, don't be surprised to see two of the afore-mentioned trio approached.
In midfield, genuine pace is needed down the flanks to complement the dead-ball delivery and creative stylings of Sebastian Larsson and Stephane Sessegnon, with Matt Phillips a cheap but cheerful option from Blackpool, while Royston Drenthe could be just the ticket on a free transfer after burning his bridges at Everton.
The Black Cats could also be set to profit from Blackburn's relegation from the top flight last term, with both Martin Olsson and Steven N'Zonzi up for grabs, which would add a degree of depth to a relatively lightweight midfield.
After Craig Gordon was released following an injury-ravaged five-year spell on Wearside, a back-up goalkeeper to Belgian Simon Mignolet is required, with Chris Kirkland a decent outside bet for the club's No.2 spo