STOKE CITY are one of a number of Premier League clubs looking to exploit the uncertainty at Sunderland by making a summer move for Lee Cattermole.

Cattermole is set to enter the final 12 months of his contract and with no fresh deal close at the Stadium of Light there is going to be strong interest in him.

The Black Cats will be keen to avoid losing another player for nothing like they did last summer when Jack Colback joined Newcastle so could consider selling at the right price.

And with Sunderland far from clear on who will be in charge of team affairs next season, most clubs have already drawn up plans for the close-season with transfer targets in mind.

Stoke boss Mark Hughes, who signed the midfielder’s close friend Phil Bardsley last summer, remains a huge fan of Cattermole and will be at the front of the queue to test the water with an offer.

Cattermole was close to joining Stoke 15 months ago only for Gus Poyet to pull the plug on a proposed £5m deal after fearing it would harm Sunderland’s chances of staying up.

And since then the Stockton-born midfielder has become one of the key performers for Sunderland and has proven a crucial cog in the system and has even been talked up by Dick Advocaat during the Dutchman’s short time in charge.

But his contract situation means there is just as much chance of him leaving this summer as there is staying, with Sunderland keen to determine what division they will be in before entering advances talks over a new deal.

That has alerted Stoke once more, while there are also other Premier League teams in and around the top ten weighing up whether to make a move for the 27-year-old.

Cattermole has impressed many top-flight bosses with his improved disciplinary record. Even though he has 11 cautions this season – only Colback has picked up the same in the top-flight – he has not been red carded since November 2013.

His performances, prior to the team’s woeful display against Crystal Palace last weekend, at the heart of the midfield have even led to suggestions that he could earn an England call from Roy Hodgson.

And Cattermole – like Sunderland chairman Ellis Short - will be keen to avoid yet another season battling against relegation, so the summer is likely to be a huge one for the players and boardroom at the Wearside club. Crystal Palace, Hull City, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Liverpool have all shown an interest in Cattermole in the past.