Dame N'Doye (L) is challenged by Aston Villa's Ciaran Clark during their English Premier League soccer match at the KC Stadium in Hull, northern England February 10, 2015 (Reuters)
Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce admitted he would be taking a "calculated risk" when he signs Senegalese Dame N'Doye who has not scored for Turkish club Trabzonspor this season.
The 30-year-old forward is close to finalising a six-month loan to Sunderland with a view to permanent signing, according to British media reports.
Since joining Trabzonspor from Hull City during the close season, N'Doye has failed to net in 12 appearances for the club.
He scored five goals in 15 appearances for Hull last season but could not stop the club being relegated from the Premier League.
"I hope Dame can emulate that for us or do even better," Allardyce told British media.
"It's a calculated risk. The biggest thing is the quality of the player.
"If you think he has got that quality to make a difference. The gamble is, can they do it straight away? If they can't, the games slip by and by the time they get used to it, it is too late."
Sunderland are second from bottom in the Premier League table and they travel to 17th-placed Swansea City on Wednesday.
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