Should Sunderland consider move for transfer-listed Leeds man O’Kane?

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Eunan O’Kane has reportedly been transfer-listed by Leeds.

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has already stamped his authority on his new squad after joining the club following the sacking of Paul Heckingbottom, by offloading 11 players – and Eunan O’Kane could be next.

Andy Lonergan, Marcus Antonsson, Felix Wiedwald and Madger Gomes have left the club permanently, while Pawel Cibicki, Alex Machuca, Jay-Roy Grot, Lewie Coyle, Tyler Denton, Mallik Wilks, Paudie O’Connor have left on loan.

O’Kane has failed to feature in Leeds’ first two pre-season fixtures, as Bielsa opted to play the likes of Ronaldo Vieira, Yosuke Ideguchi, Matuesz Klich, Kalvin Phillips, Adam Forshaw and Jamie Shackleton.

The Yorkshire Evening Post have recently reported that O’Kane is on the transfer list along with Caleb Ekuban, Hadi Sacko and Luke Murphy.

Ireland international O’Kane will know his future no longer remains at Elland Road, and with a year left to run on his contract at Elland Road, a permanent exit is on the cards.

It should see Sunderland consider a move for 28-year-old O’Kane, with the Black Cats severely lacking in central midfielders. Other than Lee Cattermole, Dylan McGeouch and Lynden Gooch, Sunderland have little to choose from.

New Black Cats boss Jack Ross must throw his side’s hat into the ring to sign O’Kane, then, in a move that will benefit all parties.

O’Kane knows just how to perform in England’s third tier, making 37 appearances and having a hand in eight goals during Bournemouth’s promotion-winning campaign of 2012-13.

Adding that into Sunderland’s bid to gain an instant return to the Championship come May 2019, and Ross will have a much stronger chance of finishing in the top two.