Sunderland appear close to securing a deal to bring Niall Huggins to the Stadium of Light this summer.

What's the talk?

That's according to a claim made by Pete O'Rourke, with the journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that the Black Cats are in advanced talks with Leeds United regarding a loan deal for the 18-year-old right-back.

In his tweet, O'Rourke said: "Sunderland are in advanced talks to sign Leeds United defender Niall Huggins."

In a further post, the same journalist then claimed that the Wales U21 international will undergo a medical at the Academy of Light on Thursday ahead of his temporary switch to Wearside.

Johnson will be buzzing

With right-back having been something of a problem area for Lee Johnson since taking over at the club last season, with the 40-year-old currently only having Luke O'Nien as a viable option in the position, the fact that the Black Cats seem close to tying up a deal for Huggins is sure to have left the manager buzzing.

Indeed, Sunderland have been linked with a number of players in the position this summer, none more so than Nottingham Forest defender Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel, however, with a deal for the Leeds youngster looking to be all but confirmed by the club, this would appear to end the Black Cats' interest in the 22-year-old.

And, while Huggins has made just one Premier League appearance for Marcelo Bielsa's side, the right-back nevertheless impressed over his 18 Premier League 2 appearances for the Leeds U23 side last season, scoring two goals and providing one assist - with club legend Ian Harte stating his belief that the 18-year-old is a "fantastic" talent.

As such, it would very much seem as if the signing of the £180k-rated Huggins will not only plug a gap for Johnson this season, but also provide the Mackems manager with an incredibly exciting option on the right-hand side of defence.

In other news: KLD handed major transfer boost on "crucial" £720k-rated ace, SAFC fans surely buzzing