THE transfer priority for Sunderland between now and next Friday's deadline remains the crucial addition of a centre-forward - but Tony Mowbray is still keen on adding a new midfielder to his ranks as well.
The Black Cats continue to face frustration in their bid to bolster the forward line, with Fulham striker Jay Stansfield this week opting to join Birmingham City rather than Sunderland.
Stansfield said location was a key factor in his decision to choose Birmingham, with the youngster keen on remaining as close as possible to London. The Fulham frontman wasn't Sunderland's only target, with Mowbray revealing last week that up to four strikers are on the Cats' radar, with club chiefs continuing to push for a breakthrough.
With no new striker through the door yet, Mowbray must decide whether to again have Jobe Bellingham leading the line at Coventry today (3pm) after the midfielder scored a matchwinning brace while playing as a makeshift frontman against Rotherham last week.
That's clearly not a long-term fix on Wearside. Bellingham has already shown his versatility since his summer arrival and is comfortable playing as a No.10 or even in a wide role. Mowbray also wants to use the midfielder in a deeper midfield role - an area that he believes needs strengthening ahead of the deadline.
"I think we're just a bit light there and that's not me making any assumptions, other than Dan Neil, Pierre Ekwah, Jobe Bellingham who has shown he can play higher up the pitch and score goals and get in he box, but I also want to try him as a No.6 as well and sit him alongside either Dan or Pierre and see how disciplined he is in that role as well," said Sunderland's head coach.
"I do think that position needs four rather than three."
Mowbray is still anticipating Sunderland exits ahead of Friday, with the head coach having said last week he expects Alex Pritchard to leave. Danny Batth's future remains uncertain, though reports this week claim the defender has turned down a move to Blackburn.
Reports in South America also claimed Jewison Bennette was set for a loan move, but Mowbray says that's not the case.
He said: "Jewison is injured at the moment, so he won't be involved at the weekend. I don't think it's going to be this window [for a loan move] for Jewison.
"He needs to keep bedding in, he needs to learn the language, to understand the demands of the club, and hopefully he makes more of a breakthrough because he is undoubtedly talented. We've got three, four, five French-speaking players in there, but not many Spanish-speaking players.
"His integration has been more difficult, so we have to be patient with Jewison. He's injured at the moment so I don't think this week he'll be going off anywhere or doing anything other than getting himself fit and available for selection again."
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Mowbray also dismissed one online report from earlier this week that claimed there's "tension" behind the scenes at the club as "water off a duck's back".
He said: "It doesn't affect my mindset about the next game, the next team.
"I do know in this profession if two losses becomes three becomes four becomes five, the noise becomes louder. That's fine. That's OK. What I feel at the club is that this is probably going to happen all the time isn't it.
"In the history of this club I feel as though you're passing through. We came out of League One, the coach decided to leave, I came in and I feel as though we've had a good year, I've enjoyed working with this group of players.
"It's different. I've never been this guy who can't control anything. This group of players are mine and I get on with them. That's the job and it's new to me but I don't mind, I just get on with it.
"I try to get the players in the right frame of mind to win football matches. You need the tools, you need strikers who can score. Games in this league are tight. There are no rubbish teams but I'm not sure there are brilliant teams who are going to get 120 points, so the fine margins, the spirit of the team, the togetherness, the camaraderie and connection goes a long, long way.
"I feel that's what I've done in all my clubs, connect to the fanbase and give them a team that they like and they see are working hard and move the ball about the pitch and try to score the goals."
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