Tuesday 22 December 2015 10:17, UK
Sunderland midfielder Jeremain Lens is ready to leave the club in January after struggling for playing time under Sam Allardyce.
Lens was left out of the squad for Saturday's 3-1 Premier League defeat at Chelsea for "disciplinary" reasons, but has not started a game for the Black Cats since the 3-0 derby victory over Newcastle on October 25.
The Netherlands international was brought to the club in July by previous coach Dick Advocaat - whom Lens played under at PSV Eindhoven and AZ Alkmaar - in a £13m move from Dynamo Kiev.
Lens began the season brightly with three assists and a goal in his first four league games but his form has tailed off since.
Now the 28-year-old has made it clear he is not happy on the bench and is willing to leave in search of more regular first-team football.
Lens told Fox Sports: "It's definitely annoying. I am not playing and I did not come to the Premier League to sit on the bench. Something will have to change. What, we will see.
"A transfer in the winter? That could happen. Once the window is open, we will see what will happen."
Allardyce revealed after the game at Stamford Bridge at the weekend that Lens had been omitted from the squad as the result of an unspecified incident following the previous weekend's defeat by Watford.
