Michael Beale remains keen to bolster his Sunderland squad – particularly at left-back – but Barnsley’s Callum Styles may not be the man to fill that void.

Sunderland have been strongly linked with a move for the versatile 23-year-old before next week’s transfer deadline, with Championship duo Hull City and Birmingham City also credited with an interest.

Styles can operate in a variety of positions across midfield as well as on the left at both full-back and wing-back – something which will appeal to Sunderland given their injury concerns.

Styles, who has represented Hungary 18 times in his career, has been a regular for League One side Barnsley this season with 20 appearances before being a notable absentee in Neill Collins' squad in the recent win over Oxford United. He spent last season on loan with Millwall in the Championship making 22 appearances.

Barnsley head coach Collins, a former Sunderland defender as a player, spoke about Styles’ absence from his squad after that game amid the transfer speculation. He said: “The club are in negotiations but at this stage, I think we focus on the lads that played tonight and deal with that in the coming days.”

Beale has been dealt a difficult hand at full-back since arriving on Wearside last month after former Leeds United man Niall Huggins suffered a season-ending injury during his first game in charge in the defeat to Coventry City. Huggins suffered what was described as a ‘serious knee injury’ in the 3-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light which is set to keep him out of action until next year.

The Sunderland head coach was then hit with the news that Dennis Cirkin had suffered a setback on his road to recovery after it was confirmed the 21-year-old had undergone surgery for a hamstring problem and would likely be out of action until the final month of the season.

Aji Alese’s return in the New Year’s Day win over Preston North End came as a timely boost – Alese himself coming off a lengthy period out of the side due to a thigh problem picked up at the end of last season. Alese was re-integrated into the side by Beale but the defender has now also picked up an injury in training which will keep him out of contention until next month.

It has forced Beale into utilising right-back Trai Hume at left-back which, consequently, has taken away some of the width for Sunderland on the right-hand side of the field – even more so in the absence of Patrick Roberts who continues to deal with a calf problem.

A move for Styles would allow Beale to move Hume back to his more favoured right-back role but We Are Sunderland understands a deal for the 23-year-old may be unlikely at this stage.

Beale commented on the left-back issue ahead of Sunderland’s Championship fixture with Stoke City at the Stadium of Light.

“We’ve lost three left-backs and we’re playing a right-back at left-back at the minute and a centre-half at right-back, so it’s clear that left-back is an issue and an area we’d like to improve in the short-term,” he told We Are Sunderland.

“The other clear area in our team is the one that everyone can see. Whether we can, within our budget and within the players who are available, secure the right player – because there’s no point bringing someone in that’s not of the level to play in our team. That costs money and I’m mindful of the fact that we invested in four number nines in the summer.

“If you’re an owner looking at that you’re probably saying ‘what’s the work being done with the four strikers that are in the building?’ So I’m going to concentrate on the guys who are in front of me.”