Grayson aiming for Sunderland signings in time for Bury trip; here's the latest on seven links

Busy week?

Simon Grayson's fourth full day in the job as Sunderland manager certainly kicks off a busy week.

With the squad mid-way through a five-day training camp in Austria, the Black Cats return to England on Wednesday to prepare for the first pre-season friendly of the summer at Bury on Friday.

Sunderland's new boss has indicated he's hoping to make quick strides in the transfer market this week. Here's the latest on seven of the top links across the press today.

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Hugill targeted by Birmingham

Harry Redknapp's Birmingham are the latest club to be linked with supposed Sunderland target Jordan Hugill.

Some had assumed that Hugill would be on his way to Sunderland when his former Preston manager was appointed to the Black Cats' vacancy last week. However, initial reports linking the Teesside-born striker with Wearside are now being played down somewhat in the press.

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The Daily Mirror have reported Blues boss Redknapp is lining up a £3m bid for the 25-year-old who hit 12 goals in the Championship last season.

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McGeady on the brink?

Linked with Sunderland since the moment Simon Grayson was unveiled at the Stadium of Light, Everton winger Aiden McGeady is reportedly nearing a move to the Black Cats.

North east reporter for The Sun, Alan Nixon, updated his social media feed earlier today to suggest Sunderland are set to take a "massive stride" in the bid to sign the 31-year-old winger who spent last season on loan at Preston with Grayson.

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Everton are said to be comfortable to let a mini bidding war play out with interest from Middlesbrough and Preston North End - both of whom have been said to be leading the race for McGeady at various points over the last week.

Initially Sunderland were thought to have been interested in a loan deal for the winger but the Toffees are keen to recoup some cash on the player they signed for a fee from Spartak Moscow in 2014 thought to have been in the region of £5m to £6m.

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Dorrans heading north of the border?

Rangers appear to have agreed a fee of £1.5m to land one-time supposed Sunderland target Graham Dorrans.

The Scottish attacking midfielder is reported to be on the brink of moving from Norwich to Ibrox according to the Daily Mail.

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The reports claim Rangers tabled a bid last night and are merely awaiting the green light to enter talks. Sunderland had been reported as willing to hijack the Gers move for the 30-year-old who spent seven years at West Brom before moving to Carrow Road in 2015.

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Sheffield Wednesday centre-back Tom Lees

Burnley are in pole position to land Sheffield Wednesday defender Tom Lees according to the Daily Mail as they plot a replacement for Everton-bound Michael Keane.

But the 26-year-old is also attracting interest from a host of Championship clubs including Middlesbrough, Derby County, Huddersfield Town, Hull City and Sunderland.

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Lees has four years left on his contract at Hillsborough and is valued at £5m. Having been beaten in the Play-offs two seasons running with Wednesday, the 6ft 1in defender is thought to be ready to depart Sheffield this summer.

With Sunderland likely to be in the market for more than one centre-half before the season starts, Lees would prove a cracking addition to Simon Grayson's back-line.

Central defenders Lamine Kone and Papy Djilobodji have traveled to Austria with the rest of the Black Cats squad for a pre-season training camp but both are still probable exits this summer - the former more so than the latter.

And that would leave Sunderland with John O'Shea, plus youngsters Tom Beadling and Michael Ledger as the other centre-halfs at the club so Grayson will be seeking to add to his defensive ranks before the Championship starts four weeks on Friday.

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Kenny Mclean of Aberdeen fame

The Sun have mentioned that Sunderland remain keen on Aberdeen midfielder Kenny McClean.

The 25-year-old was linked with a move to the Stadium of Light when Dons boss Derek McInnes was thought to be in line to take the manager's job at Sunderland.

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QPR and Birmingham are currently said to be in pole position to land the player who features in the centre or left of midfield and is available for around £750,000.

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Young Belgian striker named as target

According to Belgian football outlet VoetbalNieuws, Sunderland are one of four English clubs tracking Brugge youngster Pierre Xavier Fonkeu.

The 19-year-old Under-21 Cameroon international is said to be wanted by Norwich, Stoke, Wolves and Sunderland. Fonkeu plays as a central striker or out wide.

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Diego Rolan loosely linked

A top target for Fulham, and a former one for Sunderland, Uruguayan striker Diego Rolan has been named loosely as a potential player of interest still for the Black Cats.

The link to Sunderland originates in Italian gossip site TMW and is likely just based on the fact he was mooted as a target for David Moyes late in the transfer window last summer.

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Reports in France currently suggest Fulham are the only club to have made enquiries about the 24-year-old striker who has been with Bordeaux since 2013. He is expected to be available for a cut-price £3m due to having just 12 months left on his contract with Les Girondins.

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Last but not least...Le Tallec finds a new club

Long-forgotten Sunderland loanee Anthony Le Tallec has found a new club after being released from Atromitos Athens.

Now aged 32, the once-promising forward has signed with Romanian outfit Astra Giurgiu who finished sixth in their domestic league last season.

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The French-born forward only spent a season at the Stadium of Light in 2005-6, playing 27 league games and scoring 4 times. That was a Premier League campaign which yielded just 26 goals-for, 3 wins and 15 points.