Former Blue Connor Wickham is being linked with a summer return to Town by reports in the North-East. The 19-year-old joined Sunderland last summer for an initial fee of £8.1 million but has made only six starts and 12 sub appearances this season, scoring one goal.
Blues boss Paul Jewell is said to have previously enquired about the possibility of Wickham returning on loan two months after the striker’s move but with then-Black Cats manager Steve Bruce not keen.
However, current boss Martin O’Neill is believed to be more open to the idea of a temporary switch, feeling that the England U21 international needs to play more first team football before he is ready to be a regular in the Premier League with Town likely to head the clubs interested in taking him.
Jewell said on Thursday that he has already made enquiries about bringing Premier League players in on loan for next season: "That’s one route that we’re looking at. The problem is getting in quickly. I spoke to a club yesterday about a couple of their young players and the queue’s a mile long.”