Sunderland's backup goalkeeper Alex Bass is reportedly a target for League One newcomers Leyton Orient. According to the Sun on Sunday, Orient are keen on Bass as they look for a replacement for their out-of-contract number one Lawrence Vigouroux.
Ex-Liverpool and Swindon Town man Vigouroux can leave Brisbane Road for nothing this summer and has apparently attracted interest from newly-promoted Premier League side Burnley. Bass joined Sunderland from Portsmouth last summer and still has two years to run on his deal with the Black Cats.
Bass arrived on Wearside as cover for established first choice Anthony Patterson. Academy graduate Patterson was an ever-present in the league last season, with Bass restricted to just two cup outings - one in the FA Cup and one in the Carabao Cup.
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At 25 and with only 40 league games to his name, Bass may feel that the time is right for him to step up and play regular first-team football - something which is unlikely at Sunderland as long as the highly-rated 23-year-old Patterson remains at the club and free of injury. Whether Sunderland would be amenable to that is open to question, given Bass is their only senior cover for Patterson and it would almost certainly see them needing to bring in another backup option.
Beyond Patterson and Bass, Sunderland's goalkeeping options are limited having released third-choice Jacob Carney this summer. Adam Richardson is next in line to move up from the academy, but the 19-year-old has yet to make a senior appearance and as yet has only a handful of Premier League 2 games to his name.
