Aston Villa have slapped a £12m price tag on striker Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill is reportedly keen to raid his former club for the forward, but may now be deterred by his valuation.
The Black Cats are hoping to bolster their strikeforce, with Nicklas Bendtner's season-long loan from Arsenal about to expire, and Asamoan Gyan likely to join UAE side Al-Ain on a permanent basis.
Villa's veteran defender Richard Dunne has also been linked with a move to Sunderland, The Mirror reports.
O'Neill parted company with Villa in August 2010 and joined Sunderland in December last year.