Sunderland are interested in a deal to bring George Edmundson to the Stadium of Light this summer.

What's the talk?

That's according to a report by The Glasgow Evening Times, who claim that Sunderland have joined the race for the Glasgow Rangers centre-back, with Charlton Athletic, Portsmouth and Ipswich Town also believed to be keeping a close eye on the defender ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

However, the report goes on to state that, out of the interested parties, only Ipswich are keen on a permanent deal for the 23-year-old, with Steven Gerrard thought to much prefer the idea of selling Edmundson, rather than sending the centre-back on another loan deal ahead of next season.

Imagine him & O'Nien

While Edmundson may not have quite made the grade at Rangers, should Sunderland manage to get a deal over the line for the defender this summer, it would undoubtedly be quite a big coup for the club.

Indeed, while a hernia injury limited the number of appearances the 23-year-old made while on loan at Derby County last season, he nevertheless impressed over his 10 Championship fixtures, helping his side keep one clean sheet, as well as making an average of 0.5 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, 3.5 clearances and winning 6.1 duels per game.

These returns saw the £450k-rated man earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.78, ranking him as Wayne Rooney's 12th-best player in the second tier of English football.

As such, it would appear to be a fair statement to make that the £4k-per-week centre-back's level of performance would only improve if he were to drop down a division, with it very much seeming as if, should Kyril Louis-Dreyfus go on to secure the defender's services this summer, Edmundson could play a huge role in Sunderland's push for promotion next season.

Indeed, the thought of the man Gerrard dubbed a "faultless" player partnering up with Luke O'Nien - who thrived in the position last season, despite naturally being a midfielder - in the heart of the Black Cats' defence should be a mouthwatering prospect for fans of the club and Lee Johnson alike.

And, with centre-back having been something of a problem position for the 40-year-old Mackems boss last time out, the signing of Edmundson could well be the solution, leading us to believe Louis-Dreyfus should do all he can to get a deal over the line for the Rangers man in the coming weeks.

In other news: Johnson drops Sunderland transfer update that will be music to the ears of fans