SUNDERLAND have held talks with French full-back Jeremy Pied, but face competition from both West Ham and St Etienne as they battle to secure his signature.

Pied, an attacking right-back who can also play further forward in midfield, is due to become a free agent at the end of the month and is therefore free to talk to prospective employers.

He finished last season playing with Nice, having joined the south-coast club in a €3m move from Lyon in 2012, but has turned down the offer of a new deal at the Allianz Riviera.

His representatives have held talks with Sunderland officials, with Sam Allardyce having identified the 27-year-old as a leading defensive target.

Allardyce is determined to sign a new right-back this summer, with Billy Jones having fallen out of favour in the second half of last season. Sunderland retain an interest in DeAndre Yedlin, who spent last term on loan at the Stadium of Light, although it is not yet clear whether the American will be leaving Tottenham before the closure of the transfer window.

Pied made 33 Ligue 1 appearances for Nice last season, but Sunderland are not the only Premier League club to have discussed a possible move.

West Ham have also been in touch with the defender, and Slaven Bilic is hoping the lure of Europa League football, not to mention the prospect of playing in the Olympic Stadium next season, will persuade Pied to move to East London.

St Etienne have also expressed an interest, although they are unlikely to be able to match the financial package on offer at either Sunderland or West Ham.

Sources in France expect Pied to move to England, although the Frenchman will not make a decision over his future until he has returned from holiday.

Meanwhile, having already arranged friendlies at Hartlepool and Rotherham, Allardyce has hinted that Sunderland will spend some of their pre-season programme playing in France.

The Black Cats are due to travel to Austria for a training camp between July 7-16, although they will not be playing any games as part of their stay.

They are due to face Hartlepool on July 20, but Allardyce is keen to fit some additional games in France into the schedule.

“We’re thinking about France as they have improved their facilities so much for the Euros,” said the Sunderland boss. “We’re thinking of going to Evignon, which is where Germany are actually training at the moment. So it will be Austria first, in the mountains, then into Europe for some competitive games.”