Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp sanctions Ben Woodburn loan move to Sunderland

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has agreed to let talented young forward Ben Woodburn join Sunderland on loan for the rest of the season as Black Cats boss Chris Coleman looks to strengthen his side's survival bid with some of Chelsea's unwanted fringe stars.

Woodburn is highly thought of by Reds officials but has been afforded precious little game-time by Klopp this season; his only appearance for the senior squad this campaign came in the 2-0 defeat by Leicester City in the Carabao Cup in September.

Sunderland boss Coleman is more than happy to offer Woodburn the minutes he needs to continue his development and will be delighted to be reunited with the Liverpool prodigy, who will be tasked with dragging the lowly Wearsiders out of the Championship relegation zone.

Liverpool boss Klopp is keen to keep most of his peripheral stars for the rest of the campaign and is in "no rush" to sanction any loan deals for those in need of game-time, but the former Borussia Dortmund boss has agreed to let Woodburn leave the north west for the north east, a decision that will no doubt delight 'Cookie', who has no transfer budget to speak of.

Sunderland are in dire need of fresh blood to revitalise their currently disastrous campaign, but Coleman will have to sell his current stars before he can buy any of his desired targets. The constraints placed upon the former Fulham boss have led him to Liverpool and Chelsea's door - the Blues will likely farm out a few youngsters on loan this month - but Coleman insists he would rather have unpolished but determined starlets at his disposal rather than established journeymen with no appetite to achieve anything in the latter stages of their respective careers.

"It's all about hunger," Coleman said, per the Daily Mail. "You can have £50million in the bank and 500 games under your belt, but if you've lost your appetite then you can't come here or shouldn't be here.

"Give me an 18, 19, 20-year-old who is climbing with a bit of fight and fire in his belly, I'll take that all day long. I've seen some players who have been around the block kidding themselves, thinking they still have that bite, that burning desire, but maybe they've lost it a little bit.

"Finance has softened them up. Maybe they've got a perception of themselves that is actually not true. But I don't care, 17? 18? If you're ready and capable, come here."

It remains to be seen who Coleman can pry away from Chelsea on a temporary basis. Young Wales star Ethan Ampadu is the obvious link - the 17-year-old was handed his senior international debut by the former Real Sociedad manager against Panama in November - and the imminent arrival of Ross Barkley at Stamford Bridge could see the well-rounded midfielder leave Chelsea to work with his compatriot once again.