Sunderland have been linked with a loan move for Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer recently and the youngster could be the ideal heir to Ross Stewart in Tony Mowbray's side.

According to Football Insider, the Black Cats have already made an approach for the 20-year-old ahead of the January transfer window, as they look to add to their attacking options at the Stadium of Light.

After an impressive loan spell with Preston North End last season, which returned seven goals, it was expected that he would play a big part for the Villans in the current campaign, as he affirmed his commitment to the Midlands club by signing a new five-year deal in August.

However, he has found game time hard to come by under both Steven Gerrard and Unai Emery, with just 51 minutes of first-team action under his belt in the current campaign, which suggests that a loan move is certainly on the cards after the World Cup break.

Sunderland could soon find themselves in a situation where they need a new goalscorer, as recent reports have suggested that Ross Stewart could be on his way back to Scotland, as both Celtic and Rangers are keeping a close eye on his contract situation at the Stadium of Light.

Despite missing much of the current campaign through injury, the former Ross County man is still the top scorer in Mowbray's squad this season and was expected to play a big part when the Championship resumes in December.

If he does leave the Stadium of Light, it will be a huge blow to Mowbray's hopes of pushing Sunderland up the league, but they could find another top striker in Archer.

During his impressive spell with Preston North End, manager Ryan Lowe was full of praise for the youngster's ability and application.

He said: “Cameron has got an abundance of talent. His quality levels are fantastic, he’s bullish, strong, he can roll, and he has got that little burst of pace too."

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While Archer might lack the physical prowess of a natural target man such as Stewart, his goalscoring form last season, which also included a hattrick for Villa in the League Cup and four goals in four England U21 appearances, suggest that he could be a real threat in Mowbray's side.

Therefore, it would not be a surprise if the Villa wonderkid proves to be the man to replace Stewart at the Stadium of Light.