How much money Birmingham City, West Brom or Coventry may have to pay Sunderland's Luke O'Nien in wages | OneFootball

We looked at how much Birmingham City, West Brom or Coventry City may need to pay Luke O'Nien in wages if they sign the Sunderland defender.

Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City are all reportedly keen to sign Sunderland defender Luke O'Nien in the January transfer window.

That's according to the Chronicle, who claim that Birmingham, West Brom and Coventry are all keeping tabs on O'Nien, who has fallen out of favour at Sunderland this season following their promotion to the Premier League.

O'Nien joined the Black Cats from Wycombe Wanderers in the summer of 2018, and he had been an integral part of the club's rise from League One to the top flight, but he has made just two substitute appearances this season, the latter of those ending in him being sent off in a 3-0 defeat at Manchester City in early December.

The 31-year-old's lack of game time has raised serious question marks over his future at the Stadium of Light, particularly with the likes of Dan Ballard, Omar Alderete and Nordi Mukiele all ahead of him in the pecking order, and as his list of suitors increases, it remains to be seen whether he will be allowed to leave on loan this month.

Despite winning just two of their last eight games, Coventry remain top of the Championship table and are currently six points clear of second-placed Middlesbrough, while Birmingham and West Brom are 14th and 18th, respectively, after inconsistent campaigns.

Birmingham City, West Brom and Coventry City eyeing Sunderland's Luke O'Nien

Birmingham are no strangers to doing business with Sunderland in recent times, with the Blues signing Black Cats winger Patrick Roberts on a season-long loan in the summer.

Owner Tom Wagner revealed last week that the Midlands outfit are "working really hard" to sign Roberts on a permanent deal, and with O'Nien now also in their sights, they could decide to negotiate a deal for the defender as part of their talks with Sunderland.

While West Brom and Coventry do not have any Black Cats players currently on their books, it was recently claimed that the Baggies had joined the Sky Blues in the race to sign midfielder Dan Neil in January, and the pair may now also be set to do battle for O'Nien.

O'Nien was forced off in the early stages of Sunderland's play-off final victory over Sheffield United in May, but he played a key role in their promotion-winning campaign, making 49 appearances in all competitions, and it is little surprise that he has emerged on the radar of Championship clubs.

As Birmingham, West Brom and Coventry weigh up a move for O'Nien, we looked at how much they may need to pay the defender in wages.

Luke O'Nien's wages at Sunderland as Birmingham City, West Brom and Coventry City circle

As any deal for O'Nien is likely to be a loan, there is a chance that Sunderland could be contributing towards part of his wages at any prospective new club, but his existing salary at the Stadium of Light gives a good indication of the figures that may be involved.

​​​​​According to Capology, O'Nien currently earns £20,000-a-week and £1,040,000-a-year with the Black Cats, although it should be stressed that those figures are estimates.

With Sunderland bringing in a host of players from some of Europe's top leagues as part of their rebuild in the summer, their wage bill has increased significantly this season, and O'Nien is on a vastly lower salary than the club's top earner, midfielder Granit Xhaka, who takes home a staggering £110,000-a-week.

However, by Championship standards, O'Nien's £20,000-a-week salary is a sizeable amount, and he would immediately become one of the highest paid players at either Birmingham, West Brom and Coventry if he was to join one of those clubs.

Despite that, O'Nien's wages are unlikely to be a barrier to a deal for any of the second tier trio, and given the defender's proven quality and leadership skills at the level, they may all view him as a worthwhile investment for the second half of the season.