SUNDERLAND have recruited out-of-favour Cherries striker Lewis Grabban on a season-long loan deal.

Grabban today arrived at the Stadium of Light to put the finishing touches to the temporary move, his second loan switch of the calendar year.

The 29-year-old would be available to play for the Black Cats in the Championship play-offs – in the event they qualify.

He was not given a squad number by Cherries boss Eddie Howe for the forthcoming campaign, fuelling speculation a move could be on the cards.

Grabban did not join his team-mates on the club’s pre-season training camp in southern Spain earlier this month.

And just hours after the Daily Echo had revealed Sunderland were keen on Grabban on Friday, Howe confirmed the frontman looked set to leave.

The frontman, who rejoined Cherries from Norwich in January 2016, made 19 appearances during a loan spell with Reading last season, featuring in their Championship play-off final defeat to Huddersfield.

He initially joined Cherries for £300,000 from Rotherham in 2012 and made an inauspicious start under former managerial pair Paul Groves and Shaun Brooks.

But the south Londoner flourished under Howe and hit 13 goals to help the club finish second in League One in 2013.

He then netted 22 times during Cherries’ 2013-14 Championship campaign before Norwich triggered a £3m release clause in his contract to take him to Carrow Road in June 2014.

Grabban agreed terms on a three-and-a-half year contract when he rejoined Cherries for an undisclosed fee, believed to have been around £7million.

He made three substitute appearances in the Premier League last season and started the FA Cup defeat at Millwall in January, his last game in a Cherries shirt.