Sunderland midfielder Liam Bridcutt is on the verge of joining Leeds United on loan, according to The Chronicle.

Bridcutt has been somewhat of an outcast this season in the North East, after failing to make a single appearance, and his Sunderland career looks to be coming to an end under new manager Sam Allardyce.

Leeds also have a new manager, and Steve Evans has made it clear he intends to add to his inherited squad to halt the slide down the table. Evans claimed he was close to making a signing today but refused to identify the player, although it is understood to be Liam Bridcutt.

The 26-year-old joined Sunderland in January 2014, with then-boss Gus Poyet signing the former Brighton man for £2.5m. However, he has found first-team appearances hard to come by under Dick Advocaat and now, new manager, Sam Allardyce.

Now Leeds are believed to be willing to offer the midfielder an escape route from Wearside, with a loan that would be in place until January.

Evans said today: “I have given a list to [head of recruitment] Martyn Glover and to the owner of a number of players that we think can help us.

“We may get one done today, we are literally waiting to see if we can get that over the line in time [to play against Cardiff City tomorrow] and done but we possibly need to bring in around three players before the loan window closes in late November.

“Then we get the chance between this period and December to evaluate everyone and make a decision on how we are to go forward.

“It wouldn’t be fair to me say who it is but the one thing I would say is that we have identified a number of players in each position and my first choice in this department of this team would be the one that we are very close to.

“But you don’t always get them in that particular order.”