No hitch to Dame N'Doye's Sunderland switch

N’Doye arrived on Wearside on Monday to finalise a four-month loan move from Turkish side Trabzonspor after Sam Allardyce identified the Senegal international as the man to boost Sunderland’s attacking ranks.

The deal still hasn’t been confirmed, yet there has been no hitch and N’Doye is still on course to become Sunderland’s second capture of the January transfer window.

N’Doye was due to put pen to paper on his Sunderland contract today, but will then have to leave the country to finalise his work permit.

That could take several days – possibly until next week – with Sunderland not expected to confirm N’Doye’s signing until all the paperwork has been rubber-stamped.

But while tomorrow lunchtime’s trip to Spurs will come too soon for N’Doye to help Sunderland’s bid to remain in the Premier League, the ex-Hull City man should be available for the crucial clash against fellow strugglers Bournemouth seven days later.

N’Doye is likely to take the place of Danny Graham in Allardyce’s striking ranks, with Championship pair Blackburn and Wolves both interested in the ex-Swansea man, who has less than six months remaining on his Sunderland contract.

Sunderland will not stand in Graham’s way, as they look to lighten the demands on the wage bill, with the fixture schedule easing up after tomorrow’s encounter.

Fellow frontman Steven Fletcher has been the subject of speculation linking him with Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua over recent days, but as it was reported earlier this week, Celtic is the most likely destination for the Scotland international next summer when his Sunderland contract expires.

But once Sunderland have completed a move for N’Doye, the club’s focus will be predominantly on offloading players, if they are to bring in any further reinforcements in this window.

Allardyce would ideally like to add a further two players to the squad, with Sunderland surprisingly reigniting their interest in Lorient centre-half Lamine Kone, despite the bitter breakdown of a proposed £5million move earlier this month – though Kone is now understood to have doubts about a possible move.

Sunderland are also in the market for another right-back, with on-loan Spurs man DeAndre Yedlin – ineligible to play at White Hart Lane tomorrow – potentially returning to his parent club.