Ben Marshall interest proves Chris Coleman has got Sunderland transfer policy spot on

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Chris Coleman is going for Championship experience to lead Sunderland away from relegation.

Sunderland are reportedly in negotiations with Wolverhampton Wanderers over a deal for winger Ben Marshall.

Sky Sports understands that Wolves would like to shift the 26-year-old, who arrived from Blackburn Rovers last January on a permanent transfer, but cash-strapped Sunderland would prefer a loan until the end of the season.

Although Marshall has only made four starts for Nuno Espirito Santo’s league leaders, he was a regular under now Stoke City manager Paul Lambert at Molineux last campaign, and boasts a wealth of Championship experience.

Marshall has accumulated 204 appearances in English football’s second tier, scoring 20 goals and providing 31 assists, and is the second stalwart of this league that Sunderland boss Chris Coleman is targetting.

According to Sky Sports, the Black Cats are waiting to hear whether striker Chris Martin will join them on loan after a deal was agreed with Derby County. The Scotsman has 83 goals in 276 games in the Championship.

This appears to be a deliberate – and smart – ploy of Coleman’s to add proven Championship performers to a team which included six players aged 23 and below for Saturday’s 1-0 win over relegation rivals Hull City.

Coleman is particularly reliant on young players in the final third, now that 12-goal loanee Lewis Grabban has returned to Bournemouth, and Marshall and Martin would massively take the pressure of Sunderland’s youngsters.

It is a wise strategy from Coleman not to overload his squad with rookies by gambling on Premier League loan moves to keep Sunderland up. They will be much better equipped to do so if they can get these two deals over the line.