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Swansea City’s Neil Taylor and Everton’s Bryan Oviedo and Darron Gibson have been earmarked as potential Sunderland signings once Patrick van Aanholt joins Crystal Palace.

The signing of free agent Joleon Lescott may have underwhelmed Black Cats fans, but it has at last allowed their transfer plans to start moving.

Lescott’s main job will be to provide cover in central defence, but he has also played a lot of games for David Moyes at left-back. That means Moyes can now allow van Aanholt to join Crystal Palace for an initial fee of £9m which can be reinvested to bulk out a squad badly hit by injuries.

The priorities will be a first-choice left-back, a goalscoring midfielder and – particularly now Victor Anichebe has been ruled out for ten weeks with a knee ligament injury – further cover at centre-forward.

Whereas Sam Allardyce had success in the last January transfer window with players who had never played in the Premier League, Moyes’ inclination is towards players who have experienced it. Given the need for recruits to have an instant impact mid-season, it is a logical policy.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Swansea left-back Taylor is an option now the Welsh club have started their business too. New manager Paul Clement signed left-back Martin Olsson from Norwich City.

With youngster Stephen Kingsley also on the books, 27-year-old Taylor could be surplus to requirements.

There may be a reluctance to sell to a relegation rival, but as is the case for Sunderland dealing with Palace, the Premier League’s financial fair play regulations dictate they cannot be too choosy. The rules are designed to stop clubs spending much more than they earn, and place limits on wage bills according to income. Both the Swans and the Black Cats are close to their wage limits, which is why Sunderland have to sell a key player to add to their squad.

Taylor has made more than 150 league appearances for Swansea since joining them from Wrexham in 2010, and has established himself as a reliable full-back at Premier League and international level. He was once a target for Newcastle United.

Taylor played every minute for Wales at last summer’s European Championships, scoring against Russia in the group stages. He was largely used at wing-back, but Swansea usually play with a back four.

Moyes has used his connections at Goodison Park to sign former Evertonians Lescott, Anichebe and Steven Pienaar, and could look there again.

Oviedo offers a Plan B if Sunderland cannot sign Taylor but the Costa Rica international is a riskier options having struggled with injuries for the last three years.

The 26-year-old has never really come back from the double leg fracture he suffered in January 2014 and with the form and fitness of Leighton Baines, he has only started six league matches this season.

Republic of Ireland international Gibson’s opportunities have also been restricted by injury problems, starting two league matches last season and restricted to a substitute appearance in this season’s League Cup and a start in the Football League Trophy.

But the 29-year-old, who Moyes brought to Everton from Manchester United, has always had an eye for goal. Despite starting only 105 club games, he has 13 goals.

No Sunderland midfielder has scored in the league this season and van Aanholt’s departure will further dilute their goal threat. The Dutchman is their joint second-highest scorer in this season’s Premier League, with three.

Allardyce has also been linked with a move from midfielder Yann M’Vila, who had a pre-contract agreement to join Sunderland from Rubin Kazan this month after impressing on loan last season, but was allowed to rip it up when he told the club he would prefer not to come.