Sunderland manager Roy Keane has given striker Jon Stead permission to speak with other clubs about a loan move away from the Stadium of Light.
The 23-year-old was a £1.8million signing from Blackburn Rovers last year, however he has scored just twice in 40 appearances.
The arrivals of Dwight Yorke and David Connolly on transfer deadline day pushed him further down the pecking order.
Midfielder Rory Delap has left to join Stoke on loan already this week, and manager Roy Keane confirmed that Stead and winger Andy Welsh could be on their way out of the Coca-Cola Championship club on similar terms.
Derby county are keen on Stead, while Leicester City are pursuing Welsh.
Midfielder Tommy Miller is also attracting interest from his former club Ipswich Town, although he is reluctant to leave Wearside with his wife pregnant.
Keane said: 'As much as I want to keep as many players as I can, I have got to be fair to players, and if it looks like they are not going to get a game over the next month or two, then they should go out and play.
'Rory has gone, Jon Stead has been given permission to speak to a couple of clubs today, it looks like Andy Welsh could be going to Leicester, so there are one or two things happening with players.
'There are clubs interested in Tommy and we are looking at it every day.'
