Monday 28 December 2015 12:16, UK
Sam Allardyce will look overseas for a new central defender when the transfer window opens later in the week.
The Sunderland manager has made a defender his January priority after watching his side ship 11 goals in the course of four successive defeats in December.
And the foreign market represents the best chance of recruiting, according to Allardyce, who doubts whether a Premier League rival would consider doing business in mid-season.
He said: "Probably it'll have to be from abroad, by the looks of what's about and available in this country.
"I think it would be very difficult to secure a player from any club in the Premier League because I don't think they'd want to let anybody go. So, for me, it looks like it might be from abroad, and then see where we go from there.
"We've got to get back to being a resilient defensive unit, but the backline and the goalkeeper have to be the ones that ultimately secure those clean sheets, so a defender's my first priority, a central defender.
"Then we'll move on from there. Whether we can find one good enough is another matter."
Allardyce has reassessed his plans in the wake of Sunderland's last four games and is ready to gamble on new players with his side five points adrift of safety.
"I expect about two players or so," Allardyce said. "If some players leave it may be three, as long as they're going to make a difference. It's extremely difficult for any player to come in and make a difference, but that's the risk we're going to have to take now.
"It's a desperate need for us on the basis the players have let themselves down in recent matches. I thought this window was n't going to be as important as it is now."
One of Allardyce's most experienced central defenders, John O'Shea, is a doubt for Wednesday night's home game against Liverpool, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.
The captain has a calf injury, so Allardyce is likely to turn either to Wes Brown or youngster Tom Beadling.
The manager said: "Risking John at less than 100 per cent would be foolish because he could tear that muscle even more and be out for a longer time, like Younes Kaboul. We'll take a view on it but it looks quite doubtful at the moment.
"Wes would need to step in and behind him we have Tom, who has been training with us for the last few weeks since he recovered from injury. We'll make our choice and get on with it - you have to at this time of year."
Watch Sunderland v Liverpool live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7pm on Wednesday night.
