Sunderland have been linked with a �4.5m move for Rangers striker Tore Andre Flo as boss Peter Reid bids to end his search for a partner for Kevin Phillips.

The English Premiership club have already held talks with Rangers' Dutch international striker, Michael Mols.

Reports suggest that a �900,000 move is set to be finalised subject to a medical.

Reid has been involved in a desperate summer-long search for a long-term replacement for Niall Quinn.

He is now believed to have switched his attentions to Flo, who has not been a resounding success at Ibrox since a �12m move from Chelsea less than two years ago.

Reid had hoped to seal a club record �8.5m deal for Espanyol's Raul Tamudo, a former target of Rangers, but that transfer has so far failed to materialise.

Liverpool's England Under-21 defender, Stephen Wright, has agreed to join Sunderland in a �1.5m deal, while Reid is still hopeful of capturing young Leicester City midfielder Matt Piper.

Like Flo, Mols has found himself behind Shota Arveladze and Peter Lovenkrands in the striker pecking order at Rangers.

While Flo has simply failed to live up to his price tag in Scotland, Mols made a scintillating start to his career at Ibrox but has never fully recovered his form after serious injury.

If both arrive at Sunderland, it will be bad news for new Scotland international Kevin Kyle, who had been hoping to at last claim a regular place in Reid's first team.