Wolves defender Dion Sanderson has emerged as a potential defensive option for Bristol City, with the 22-year-old set to be sent out on loan for a second time this season.
Manager Nigel Pearson may be forced to delve into the January transfer window to sign a centre-back after confirming Nathan Baker is likely to be sidelined for the rest of the season.
Sanderson, 22, returned to Molineux this month after he was recalled from a temporary switch to Midlands rivals Birmingham City to provide cover at the back due to injuries and Romain Saiss' involvement in the African Cup of Nations.
As reported by the Daily Mail, City are just one of few Championship clubs monitoring Sanderson's situation as Birmingham are eager to bring him back to St Andrew's while QPR, who missed out on signing Bournemouth's Steve Cook earlier in the window, are also in the mix.
Should City progress beyond the interested stage it would represent a change in approach from Pearson who previously has been reticent to explore the loan market due to the risks involved of paying for a potentially inexperienced player who you can only keep for a short period of time.
Sanderson, who has made just one EFL Cup appearance for Wolves since coming through the youth ranks, has impressed during loan spells with Cardiff, Sunderland and Birmingham making 25 Championship appearances, making him a slightly different case.
He also has played at both centre-back and full-back, and with George Tanner out at least until the end of February and Danny Simpson seemingly not part of the first-team picture at present, that versatility will undoubtedly appeal.
Sanderson has also featured in a back three for Blues this season, at present the Robins manager's favoured system.
He's played 15 times in the league under Lee Bowyer in the first half of the season and has been an unused substitute in Wolves' last two fixtures.
Saiss is representing Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Willy Boly and Yerson Mosquera are sidelined with injuries and Sanderson is eyed as back-up should they have another casualty in defence.
Therefore, it is expected that Wolves will be eager to keep hold of Sanderson while Saiss continues to progress through the AFCON tournament.
One potential complication could be that the AFCON final takes place on February 6, after the transfer deadline closes, meaning Wolves may be reluctant to let the player leave until at least the final stages of the window.
Pearson will be hoping a new name at the back will help plug the gap in City's leaky defence after watching his side concede six in the defeat at Fulham.
The Robins have now conceded 45 goals in 26 matches, the joint-second worse record in the league alongside Reading and behind Peterborough.
The manager will also be concerned that Baker's absence leaves the club short of numbers in defence with just Tomas Kalas, Zak Vyner and Rob Atkinson as the only natural centre-backs with Cam Pring recently shoe-horned into the back three.
There is an option to recall Taylor Moore from his loan spell at Hearts but Pearson all-but ruled out any chance of that happening last week.
Elsewhere, City have taken winger Ramello Mitchell on trial with the 19-year-old featuring in the Under-23 draw with Swansea on Monday night.
Mitchell, who interestingly has the same agent as Sanderson, currently has six months left on his contract at Southampton but it appears he could be casting an eye to the future.
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