Exclusive: Sunderland plot move to sign free agent with PL experience

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Published on:

29 Dec 2019, 2:30 am

Sunderland are plotting a move to re-sign goalkeeper Ben Alnwick on a free transfer in January, Football Insider understands.

The 32-year-old shot-stopper is currently without a club after leaving League One outfit Bolton Wanderers on Friday.

A source at Sunderland has told Football Insider that the Black Cats are considering bringing youth graduate Alnwick back to Wearside, with manager Phil Parkinson looking to strengthen his options between the sticks.

Alnwick featured 20 times during his time at the Stadium of Light, five of those outings coming in the Premier League, while he has a total of 125 League One and 108 Championship appearances under his belt.

Having come through the youth system on Wearside, Alnwick left for Tottenham in 2017, playing for a long list of clubs on loan before moving to Barnsley permanently.

He has since been at Charlton Athletic, Leyton Orient and Peterborough before moving to Bolton back in 2016.

Alnwick left the north west outfit after failing to make a single first-team appearance this season, featuring on the substitutes' bench just three times.

The former England under-21 international played a total of 95 times for the Trotters but saw his place in the starting XI taken by 25-year-old Remi Matthews in the second half of last season.

Meanwhile Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson has used both Jon McLaughlin and Lee Burge between the sticks since his appointment back in October, the Scottish international starting the 0-0 draw with Bolton on Boxing Day.

In other Sunderland news, the Black Cats have set their sights on signing a soon-to-be-available Ipswich Town player.

Sunderland AFC