Sources suggest that the scheduled summer spending at the Stadium of Light could kick off with a bid for Genk hitman, Jelle Vossen.

The Belgian club are set to lose starlet Kevin de Bruyne in the summer when he finishes the remainder of his loan spell at his club and officially moves to Chelsea.

Vossen has impressed greatly at Genk over the past two seasons and has made 31 starts across all competitions this campaign, scoring 17 goals in the process.

Sunderland were being linked with a number of forwards over the course of the January transfer window and with Nicklas Bendtner unlikely to make his loan deal a permanent one in the summer months, cover will be needed.

Ellis Short has shown his willingness to spend on big-name signings in the past making moves for Darren Bent and Asamoah Gyan in recent seasons.

Gyan is also set to return from a season-long loan at the start of July but the Ghanaian striker seems likely to face a backlash from the Stadium of Light faithful and the club may opt to cash in on his signature.

Martin O’Neill has hot prospects waiting in the wings in the forms of Connor Wickham and Ji Dong-Won but it’s debatable whether the duo are ready to be thrown into the high tempo of the Premier League just yet.

Frazier Campbell recently returned to fitness and has looked dangerous on his return but again, reinforcements may be necessary.

With another striker brought in in the summer, Stephane Sessegnon will be expected to shift into a more natural position closer to attacking midfield rather than the supporting striker role he has been forced to fill, magnificently at that.

Should Vossen complete a move to England, he would be expected to cost around £9m.