Sunderland are considering a shock move for Newcastle United rebel Joey Barton.
The Daily Mail says despite extensive publicity since Newcastle put him on the transfer list on Monday, Barton and his agent Willie McKay have only held talks with Celtic.
Stoke City have also made enquiries but plenty of others are believed to be waiting to offer the 28-year-old an escape route from Tyneside.
Sunderland are among the teams who have been approached by McKay and they will monitor developments, but both parties accept a move to the Stadium of Light is unlikely.
After signing nine players this summer, including midfielders Craig Gardner and Seb Larsson, Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is looking to strengthen elsewhere.
