SUNDERLAND will confirm Steve Bruce as their new manager within the next 48 hours – and promised him a transfer war chest to rebuild the club’s struggling squad.

Bruce cut short his holiday in Portugal to join Niall Quinn in Ireland last night to iron out the final details of the deal, after the Black Cats chairman agreed a compensation figure with Wigan counterpart Dave Whelan.

And while Bruce may not be confirmed as Sunderland’s third manager in 12 months until tomorrow, it is now almost certain he will be in charge next season.

On a day of slow but significant progress, Sunderland struck a deal with Wigan so they could begin talking to Bruce about his conditions for taking on the job.

A contract was not put in front of Bruce yesterday but that is expected to happen today, with an announcement due to follow.

Bruce is one of the better-paid Premier League managers on a contract worth about £45,000-a-week. That does not include significant incentives for keeping Wigan in the top flight, which he earned last season.

But Sunderland will have been aware of his demands, and the last significant hurdle appears to have been vaulted with an agreement on compensation.

Whelan had originally asked for the £3m that he paid Birmingham City to secure Bruce’s services but it is understood that Sunderland have agreed to pay slightly less than that.

Whelan’s hand was weakened slightly by Bruce’s obvious desire to move back to the North East, but he has also been impressed at the way Sunderland have conducted themselves during negotiations, and that may have played a part in the deal being conducted so swiftly and painlessly.