Steve Bruce is keen to complete signings
Jul 1 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal
The former Manchester United defender thought he was going to sign Campbell on a season-long loan last August only for the Yorkshireman to emerge as a bargaining chip in the deal to sign Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur, in which he became a (temporary) makeweight.
At the time, Sir Alex Ferguson insisted Campbell would be spending next season back at Old Trafford, where he made his Premier League debut last August against Newcastle.
But the emergence of youngsters Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck has pushed Campbell down the pecking order, and made him expendable to a club with two big holes to fill in its squad following the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, and massive debts to service.
Understandably the Tigers – who also harbour hopes of landing out-of-contract former Newcastle striker Michael Owen – are anxious to conclude what initially seemed a straight-forward piece of business. “We have been in constant contact with Manchester United, Fraizer and his father and hopefully we can now sit down and draft a deal before he goes on his family holiday,” explained Hull chairman Paul Duffen, thereby laying out the potential deadline for a Sunderland counter-bid.
Campbell did not feature in Monday’s European Under-21 Championships final after being suspended for two yellow cards in the semi-final victory over Sweden.
His absence only furthered his stock as it left England without a genuine centre-forward – Gabriel Agbonlahor was also banned – in the 4-0 defeat by Germany. His value to the Black Cats has been heightened by the news that one of Bruce’s alternative targets, Kevin Doyle, has joined Wolverhampton Wanderers. Former Black Cats manager Mick McCarthy trumped his old club by signing Republic of Ireland striker Doyle from Reading for £6.5m, a record fee for the Molineux club.
The move is another indication that the Premier League transfer market is starting up once again.
Some clubs are back in training today, though Sunderland do not return until next week.
