Sunderland are wrapping up terms for Bosman transfer Carlos Cuellar.
The Mirror says the Spanish defender left Aston Villa, who are trying to reduce their wage bill, on a Bosman earlier this summer.
Cuellar, who can play centre-half and right-back, had been talking to several clubs in his homeland, including Sevilla.
But the 30-year-old is now set to link up again with Black Cats manager Martin O'Neill, who took him to Villa in a £7.8million swoop on Scottish giants Rangers in August 2008.