Sunderland have been credited with an interest in Scunthorpe United striker John McAtee, according to former agent and journalist James Goodwin.

Black Cats boss Phil Parkinson is expected to make wholesale changes to his squad this summer as he looks to bounce back after suffering a second successive failure to gain promotion from League One to the Championship.

With a whole host of first team regulars having left the club over the last few weeks due to their contract expiration, Parkinson will look to bring in replacements.

One area in particular where the Sunderland boss could look to improve upon is in attack, having seen both Charlie Wyke and Will Grigg struggle for consistent form in recent months.

One of the players being linked with a move to the Stadium of Light is 20-year-old striker McAtee, who currently plays for Scunthorpe United. He has already begun to make a name for himself in the first team setup at Glanford Park, making his first team debut on New Year's Day and going on to score two goals and provide two assists in his 19 appearances this season (as per Transfermarkt).

His performances have also gained interest from Newcastle United and that could now lead to a transfer tussle between the two local rivals.

It is refreshing to see Sunderland being linked with young players with potential like McAtee but Parkinson must ensure that any players he brings in are capable of making an impact at the Stadium of Light.

While the Scunthorpe youngster seems an intriguing prospect, it could be asking a lot of an inexperienced 20-year-old to shoulder the bulk of the scoring burden for the Black Cats as they seek to escape League One.

Do you think McAtee would be a good signing for Sunderland? Let us know in the comments section below...