SUNDERLAND are looking to make progress on reducing their wage bill before manager Martin O'Neill can significantly restructure the squad he inherited when he took over in December.

And with only one permanent member of the first team squad - Craig Gordon - out of contract in the summer, the Black Cats are faced with having to be creative in their attempts to take the club forward.

O'Neill is more than happy for the likes of Cristian Riveros, Marcos Angeleri and George McCartney to move on when the season comes to a close. All three, though, have 12 months remaining on their deals so Sunderland are having to come up with ways to keep their wages off their weekly accounts.

Angeleri is nearing full fitness after knee trouble, while Riveros and McCartney are on loan at Kayerispor and West Ham United respectively.

If permanent deals can't be arranged then Sunderland are faced with having to come up with pay-off agreements to ease the substantial outlay which those three players will cost the club next season.

There is also the ongoing Asamoah Gyan situation. The Ghana international remains on loan at Al-Ain, although his form has attracted attention from other wealthy clubs in the Middle East.

The reality, however, is that only Scotland goalkeeper Gordon among the existing full-time playing staff pay-roll looks certain of leaving when his contract expires at the end of June.

O'Neill has already admitted he is looking to bring in new "strikers" during the summer, particularly as Nicklas Bendtner will return to Arsenal at the end of his season long loan.

But the departure of Bendtner, who has shown his quality in patches during his stay at the Stadium of Light, would make Sunderland's squad even lighter in the attacking department.

Only last month chief executive Margaret Byrne admitted there had to be a drive towards bringing the club's finances inline with the new rules that will be set out in the Financial Fair Play.

With that in mind they are looking to further improve the wage-to-turnover ratio in their accounts which was brought down to a healthier 76 per cent for the year ending July 31, 2011.

But O'Neill is also intent on making additions during the close-season, particularly as both Wayne Bridge and Sotirios Kyrgiakos's loans from Manchester City and Wolfsburg will also have expired.

Ideally Riveros, McCartney and Angeleri will all have sealed permanent moves away from the Stadium of Light early in the summer. While the wage bill will have been reduced, though, there will not have been cash raised for O'Neill's own transfer spending.

O'Neill has been satisfied with the way Sunderland have successfully climbed away from relegation trouble since he took over from Steve Bruce.

But the recent stutter which has seen them drop back down to 11th in the Premier League has heightened the Northern Irishman's desire to bring in a number of his own players to strengthen the squad ahead of next season.

At least Sunderland can face Bolton at the Stadium of Light this Saturday safe in the knowledge they will be playing in the top-flight again next season. The Reebok Stadium has been the scene of late season nerves in recent years, but this time around it will be the Trotters fearing a drop down a division.

* Sunderland reserves' final game of the season has been rescheduled and will now take place at Altrincham on Friday, May 4 (7pm).