REGIS Le Bris says Sunderland have "two or three options" as they assess their next move in the transfer market after the capture of Omar Alderete.
And the Black Cats are still pushing to offload a whole host of fringe figures who don't feature in Le Bris' thinking, but no exits are close as things stand, with the head coach expecting movement on that front late in the window.
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Alderete became Sunderland's 11th signing of the summer when he put pen to paper on a four-year deal at the Stadium of Light.
But Sunderland aren't finished yet, with another wide attacker on their radar. Le Bris also hasn't ruled out signing another central defender.
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Pressed on what areas he still wants to strengthen, Le Bris said: "We'll have two or three options to test and see if we can improve the squad."
As is always the case, though, Le Bris will only give a deal the green light if he thinks the player is the right fit for Sunderland on and off the pitch.
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"For every player, we speak about the position and style of play and characteristics," he explained.
"So for a winger, centre-back, striker, it's always different. For the characteristic, we have to be really clear about the identity and the way you can connect as a teammate.
"Are you a more talented player but more individual or ready to connect with your teammates? This can be a question.
"The intensity is really important at the level we play, so hard worker, the ability to repeat performances every week, to help the squad in the style of play we have is really important as well.
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"We have two, three, four important points we want to check with the player and sometimes it's not the right moment to connect with Sunderland, if they are talented. It's often a question of connection."
Behind the scenes, Sunderland are working hard to find new clubs for the players who don't feature in Le Bris' plans.
The likes of Hemir, Abdoullah Ba, Ian Poveda, Joe Anderson, Pierre Ekwah and Timothée Pembélé are all available to leave.
Asked whether any deals are close, Le Bris said: "At the minute, no. I think we'll have to wait for the last two weeks.
"It's always like that. The players and the squads observe the market. The first games as well are really important to assess the level of the squad."