Sunderland are said to be keen on Swiss talent Jonas Omlin

Sunderland have opened talks to sign Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Jonas Omlin on loan, according to reports.

The Black Cats are currently well-stocked between the sticks, with summer signing Robin Roefs deputised by promotion-winning academy graduate Anthony Patterson. A lack of first team opportunities for the latter this season has, however, led to speculation over his future in recent days.

So far this term, Patterson has made just one senior appearance, in a Carabao Cup clash against Huddersfield Town, and it is within this context that he has been touted for a prospective loan exit, with Millwall the latest club to be credited with an interest.

For his part, head coach Regis Le Bris has suggested that Patterson could leave this January, but only if a suitable replacement can be found. Speaking in a recent press conference, he said: "Yes, it's an option for him to leave this month. But he will need to be replaced, absolutely this is the case.

"It's always tough when players aren't playing We have to accept that, for us and for them because you want to play and when you don't play you are frustrated, which is normal. After that, you have competition. For example, for those two players Dan [Neil] with Granit [Xhaka] and Patto with Robin. This is the competition and I think it's fair to say the best players are playing right now. That doesn't mean they're not good players, they are both good players but competition is competition."

He added: "It's a specific position, one of the most difficult probably. As a manager and coaching staff, you want to create the condition of confidence, so after a mistake or sequence of mistakes, you won't say, you're done, it's time for the other one. You want to support them. We did it last season with Patto, with Dan as well. It's the journey of a footballer. It's not easy but it remains a good life. You need challenges and you probably enjoy it a bit less when you're not playing, but it remains a good life!"

And with that in mind, journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Sunderland have opened negotiations with Borussia Monchengladbach over a potential temporary agreement for 32-year-old Omlin.

The four-cap Swiss international joined the German side from Montpellier in 2023, but is currently understudy to Moritz Nicolas, and has not made a first team appearance this season.

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What has Regis Le Bris said about Sunderland’s January transfer plans?

Speaking in a press conference last week, Le Bris provided an update on Sunderland’s transfer plans, stating: “We're in a good place. Our standards are high so if you want to replace someone or add a new player, it's really demanding. But that's really positive for the club and fans and everyone here. Now we are targeting really specific positions, but we are not the only ones.

“It's often offensive positions with specific qualities and it's tough to find. But at Sunderland the identity is to build rather than buy. We are really good at supporting the players and giving opportunities to young players. They might not be so strong at the beginning but they have this potential. We give them opportunities and then they can become good or very good players.”

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