Liverpool star should be top of Sunderland AFC's three-man transfer shortlist | OneFootball

Sunderland's January shortlist could be made up of these three players

Only the most optimistic of Sunderland fans had them down as automatic promotion candidates pre-season, but with the festive period now upon us, a top-two finish is a distinct possibility.

After a brief wobble in November which saw them knocked off top spot, Sunderland have regained some momentum and are certainly good value for their lofty league position.

That's made all the more impressive by the fact it's boss Regis Le Bris' first season in charge, but he's only halfway there towards his goal as yet, with roughly half of the season still to go and an awful lot of points still to play for.

Without the riches of the three other sides deemed to be directly competing with them for the top-two places, Sunderland have had to be smart with their recruitment to get them to the position they're in now.

Le Bris will have to do something similar in January as he seeks to strengthen his squad ahead of the run in, with this his final chance to assemble a squad good enough to stay the distance.

Here are three players who could top his shortlist...

Sam Tickle

With Anthony Patterson linked with a move to Tottenham, Sunderland would be wise to have half an eye on adding a goalkeeper in January, even if they choose not to sell in the coming weeks.

A summer move has been mooted as more likely for Patterson, with Sunderland unwilling to sell in the middle of a promotion push, preempting his move could be something that saves them money in the summer.

Should the Black Cats get a big fee in the summer for Patterson, they're likely to have that held against them by other club.

Wigan Athletic's Sam Tickle should certainly be someone of interest to Sunderland, with the young shot stopper widely regarded as the best keeper in League One, so much so he's been called up to the England U21 squad on several occasions.

He did recently sign a new deal with the Latics though, so a move could still be costly.

Louie Barry

Probably the one mover everyone in the Championship is paying attention to in January, winning the race for Louie Barry should be high on Sunderland's agenda.

Barry will return to Aston Villa after they cut short his Stockport loan, and will look to loan him out a bit further up the footballing pyramid, with several Championship clubs, including Sunderland, linked with a move for the talented youngster.

With Wilson Isidor not consistently firing, and injuries to Romaine Mundle and Tommy Watson, Barry could certainly help ease the goalscoring burden and provide depth up-front and out wide.

The Black Cats have also drawn quite a lot of games since the start of November, and his moments of magic could be enough to help swing those games in thier favour.

Trey Nyoni

One alternative to Barry, who may be just out of Sunderland's reach, is Liverpool youngster Trey Nyoni, who could look for a move away from Anfield to get first team football in January.

The 17-year-old has made the bench for Liverpool on several occasions, and has started in the Carabao Cup, but he's nowhere near breaking into the team yet, so some regular football could benefit him.

The advanced midfielder could come in and provide something similar to what Bellingham brings to Sunderland, while he could also slot anywhere into their midfield three, as he can do both sides of the game.

He's a cultured player for his age already, and Liverpool have a long-standing history of loaning young players out in January, so a move is certainly plausible if Sunderland want to add some more depth in the middle of the park.