Following on from winter speculation associating the hitman with a Premier League move, Sunderland aren’t quite prepared to give up on their chase for Borussia Dortmund striker Lucas barrios.

The Paraguayan international has made only one league start this season, falling behind Robert Lewandowski in the club’s pecking order.

As a result, Barrios is thought to be keen on a move away from the Westfalenstadion as he looks to make his way back into a starting lineup.

Sunderland aren’t the only Premier League outfit interested in the 27 year-old’s signature however, and Liverpool and Fulham have also been linked with a move for the misfit.

The Cottagers reportedly came inches close to signing Barrios in January, only for the move to collapse at the last minute when the player’s agent apparently demanded a larger fee in what is becoming an increasingly frequent story in football transfers these days.

Sunderland are already quite lightweight in the striking department with only Frazier Campbell and on-loan Nicklas Bendtner as senior forwards.

The North East outfit also have Connor Wickham and Ji Dong-Won as prospects for the club, however some have claimed that the pair aren’t quite ready for Premier League standards yet despite some impressive performances this season.

With Bendtner set to return to Arsenal at the end of this season, Martin O’Neill’s team will need offensive reinforcements if they are to build on what is looking to end as an impressive season.

Asamoah Gyan will return from his season-long loan this summer but is expected to be sold in order to free up money for the Black Cats transfer activity.

With 44 goals in his first two season at Borussia Dortmund, the forward has shown that he has the ability to score when give the chance and with protracted financial backing for the summer transfer window, Sunderland could complete the signature of £10m-rated Barrios.