Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has dropped a hint regarding the Wearside club's potential plans for the upcoming January transfer window. 

The Lowdown: Sunderland's season so far

So far this season, the Black Cats have won eight of their 21 Championship games ahead of Monday's match against West Brom, drawing six and losing seven.

The previous summer transfer window saw numerous players make moves in and out of the Stadium of Light, with some players joining on permanent deals and others joining on temporary loans.

Now that the next January transfer window is on the horizon, Mowbray has shared his thoughts on the matter.

The Latest: Mowbray's January hint

Speaking in his latest press conference (via Sunderland Echo) Mowbray had this to say when asked about the upcoming window and what Sunderland could look to do in it.

He said: "We're looking not just at this window but the next few really. Where people's contract situations are at, will that be resolved and what does that mean etc.

 

"We've talked about some names but you never know for sure until you make those calls whether it's feasible. Some of that is also about the younger players, whether you think that rather than them being around the periphery of the squad, they should try and go on loan and play 20 games before the end of the season so they're better placed to come back and really compete.

"Those are the sorts of conversations we're having, rather than necessarily being definitive about players [coming in]."

The Verdict: Decisions to be made at Sunderland

Going off what Mowbray has said, it appears that the focus for now seems to be on potentially moving current players out of the club rather than bringing new ones in. Bearing in mind how only four clubs in the division have fewer players in their squad than Sunderland (25), whereas 15 clubs have more, perhaps adding new faces to the squad to give some extra strength and depth should be main objective for January. However, with the Black Cats having seven players in their squad that have yet to make three league starts this season, perhaps moving certain names out would be the best thing for them if they can find regular game time elsewhere.