DAVID MOYES faces an anxious 36 hours of trying to convince targets that moving to Sunderland is a gamble worth taking.

Sources in South Wales claim Moyes has learned Swansea full-back Neil Taylor has indicated an unwillingness to replace the departing Patrick van Aanholt at the Stadium of Light.

The Northern Echo:

Taylor was a few contender to fill the void left by van Aanholt along with Bordeaux’s Diego Contento and Everton’s Bryan Oviedo.

Moyes – who does have the option of playing recent free agent signing Joleon Lescott there - knows he could do with adding another left-back before the transfer window closes.

He has been regularly briefed by chief executive Martin Bain and chief football officer Simon Wilson over the weekend; those updates will continue after training this morning.

Oviedo is the likeliest arrival at this stage and it is understood Sunderland have made a fresh approach to Leicester City in the hope of paying £5m for striker Leonardo Ulloa, rated at £11m by his club. Sunderland are also interested in Oviedo's team-mate Darron Gibson.

Sunderland, who face Tottenham at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday, are rooted to the foot of the Premier League and are in need of reinforcements.

Moyes hopes to be handed a slice of the initial £10m fee – rising to £14m with add-ons – that Sunderland will receive for van Aanholt.

His departure means it has freed up room on a wage bill stretching Financial Fair Play rules and debts of around £140m.

Van Aanholt spent Friday at Crystal Palace undergoing a medical and finalising personal terms. The deal is likely to go through, even though Sunderland would ideally like his replacement in first.

Moyes will at least have the third of his Africa Cup of Nations players back in his squad this week, having already welcomed Lamine Kone and Didier Ndong back.

Wahbi Khazri is due to return to the fold after Burkina Faso beat his Tunisia in the quarter-finals of the competition in Gabon on Saturday.

Khazri impressed during the tournament and has been asked to return to Wearside as soon as possible to boost the fight for survival.

He is unlikely to figure against Tottenham on Tuesday night but should be in the squad for the trip to face Allardyce’s Palace on Saturday.

Khazri will be competing for one of the attacking roles currently occupied by Adnan Januzaj and the Belgian has come under fire from his former coach.

Warren Joyce, now manager at Wigan, has been frustrated by the lack of progress made by the attacking midfielder since bursting onto the scene under Moyes at Manchester United a few years ago.

Januzaj has flattered to deceive on Wearside too. Occasionally there have been flashes of brilliance but then he has gone missing in games, with his final ball disappointing.

Joyce said: “The frustrating thing is seeing ones like Januzaj, (James) Wilson or Federico Macheda get up to that level and stop doing the work they did to get them to that level.

“Not play the games, not train as hard, sit in jacuzzis and not do the same weights and sessions they did to get there.

“Those are the frustrating ones for me, because that could be avoided. You’re in football for sport, to be competitive and try to do your best and challenge yourself, so those things are on the periphery.

“You either want to be in a boyband in a pop star environment, or a footballer.”

Moyes received one injury boost and then a blow on Sunday afternoon when the Under-23s drew 0-0 with Liverpool at Eppleton.

Lynden Gooch made his comeback after injury and lasted an hour, but before he was withdrawn the sight of teenage striker Joel Asoro being stretchered off will be of concern to the Black Cats.

SUNDERLAND U23s: Stryjek; J Robson, Brady, Ledger, T Robson, Beadling, Gooch (Maja 62), E Robson, Nelson, Asoro (Molyneux 50), Greenwood.

Subs (not used): Talbot, Hume, Wright.