SUNDERLAND are in the market for a versatile attacker who is comfortable playing on both flanks and up-front.

But finding a player who fits the bill for the Black Cats in the January window is difficult, Regis Le Bris admits.

With Enzo Le Fee having arrived to strengthen the midfield earlier this month, Sunderland are now prioritising their attack.

The Black Cats remain in talks with Westerlo over Matija Frigan but it's understood an agreement is not as close as some reports in Belgium suggest - and Le Bris refused to be drawn on the 21-year-old when quizzed at his press conference on Monday.

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Le Bris has previously suggested he wants Sunderland to sign players who are ready to make an instant impact in the second half of the season, but there's no guarantee any incoming attacker will go straight into the side given Wilson Isidor has established himself as the first choice frontman on Wearside.

With that in mind, Le Bris is keen on recruiting a forward who can offer crucial variety in the forward line.

He said: "It's clear the position of different players in the team is really good right now.

"One option is to find a versatile player who has the capacity or ability to play on the left and right side and as a striker.

"It could solve the situation but at the same time it's not easy to find that type of player. So we'll see."

Ben Brereton-Diaz completed his move to Sheffield United on Monday, and he's expected to followed by Leicester's Tom Cannon.

There's fierce competition for domestic strikers, which, on the back of the Frigan talks, led to Le Bris being asked whether Sunderland have had to expand their pool of targets.

"The market is open with a lot of speculation and rumours," he said.

"There is a lot of work behind the scenes but it is difficult to comment on speculation.

"At the moment we want to reinforce that position, it's clear, but we have to find the right profile. It's still a question of connection. We can be interested by one profile but on the other side the player has to be connected with us. It's still a meeting {of connection} and so far it's not done."