Premier League side Sunderland are reportedly keen to capture the services of Mauro Zarate on a loan basis.

The 25-year-old is said to have been made available by Lazio following a disagreement with coach Vladimir Petkovic.

That news has alerted Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill, who is keen to lighten some of the goalscoring burden from Steven Fletcher, according to The People.

Any deal that Sunderland complete is likely to last until the end of the season, with a view to making the move a permanent one.

The Argentine centre-forward spent part of 2008 with Birmingham City in the Premier League.