Should Sunderland rival Birmingham and Hull for West Ham icon Cole?

Follow us on Google Discover

Birmingham and Hull are interested in West Ham cult hero Carlton Cole so should Sunderland join the race?

Birmingham City manager Steve Cotterill during the Sky Bet Championship match against Preston North End.

Birmingham City and Hull City are weighing up a potential deal to sign Carlton Cole on a free transfer as they look to move away from the Championship drop zone, according to the Sun.

Cole had been expected to join League One outfit AFC Wimbledon having trained with the London club for the past few weeks, but now Birmingham and Hull are considering an 11th hour move.

Former West Ham United and Chelsea striker Carlton Cole (R) and Manager of Persib Umuh Muhtar hold Cole’s jersey during a press conference in Bandung.

The former West Ham United striker – who spent nine years with the Hammers – has been without a team since leaving Persib Bandung of Indonesia in August.

Now 34-years-old, Cole could be given one last chance in the second tier of English football having previously scored 14 goals in 40 appearances at that level.

Chris Coleman, manager of Sunderland, during the Sky Bet Championship match against Reading.

Yet with their relegation rivals sniffing around the veteran forward, should Sunderland also be thinking about making a move for an attacker who has seven caps for England and 51 Premier League strikes?

Finances are limited at the Stadium of Light so free agents are an attractive prospect to the Black Cats and they are currently light in attack with James Vaughan having joined Wigan Athletic and loanee Lewis Grabban returning to AFC Bournemouth already this month.