Chris Coleman targets Liverpool pair Danny Ward and Ben Woodburn as first Sunderland signings

New Sunderland manager Chris Coleman will try to sign Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward on loan in January – and will also try to prise Ben Woodburn away from Anfield on a temporary deal until the end of the season.

Coleman takes over at the Stadium of Light with the Black Cats rock bottom of the Championship after 17 games. The former Wales manager will not have any money to spend in the New Year and will look to the loan market to make some much needed additions with a new goalkeeper top of his priority list.

Following the club record departure of Jordan Pickford in the summer Sunderland bought in both Jason Steele and Robbin Ruiter to fill the void left by the England international. Both have struggled this season however with the latter enduring a particularly harrowing afternoon as his side became the fist team in English football history to fail to win in 20 successive home games against Millwall on Saturday [18 November].

According to the Sunderland Echo, Coleman has made signing a new goalkeeper a priority and will look to Wales international Ward as his first option. The 24-year-old excelled on loan in the Championship last season, helping Huddersfield Town win promotion to the top flight only to be retained by Liverpool this season to act at their third-choice goalkeeper behind Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius.

He has been used by Jurgen Klopp just once this season in Liverpool's solitary appearance in the Carabao Cup with Coleman now hoping to convince the German to sanction a loan deal that would see him handed an automatic first-team role in the north east.

Coleman, who signed a two-and-a-half year deal to replace Simon Grayson on Wearside, is also hoping to convince Liverpool to allow 18-year-old starlet Woodburn to leave on loan. The forward, who signed a new long-term deal on Merseyside last month, has spent most of the season so far with Liverpool's youth sides with Klopp extremely protective over the youngster's development, keen to keep him close to the senior team rather than allowing him to leave for first-team opportunities.

Coleman however will test that resolve in the New Year.