Black Cats boss eyes Davenport swoop
Jan 10 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal
RICKY Sbragia is set to make a move for West Ham United defender Calum Davenport as he continues his search for defensive reinforcements with Premier League experience.
Securing another central defender is Sbragia’s priority in the January transfer window and Davenport (pictured) is near the top of his wish-list as he searches the market for players with top-flight pedigree. Davenport looked set for a move to Bolton Wanderers after the Trotters agreed a fee of £3m with West Ham earlier this week but they have dropped their interest after signing Zenit St Petersburg’s French defender Sébastien Puygrenier.
Tentative enquiries from Wearside have already been made to the Hammers but the collapse of his move to Bolton paves the way for Sbragia to follow up his interest in a player who would battle with Nyron Nosworthy for a spot alongside Anton Ferdinand. “We had a meeting about players last week – we’ve shown interest in a couple and we’re just waiting for an answer back. But I won’t be held to ransom,” Sbragia admitted.
“There’s no secret I want defenders and there is a price I will pay for them and if doesn’t suit us then I won’t have it.”
Davenport is free to leave Upton Park after
reportedly clashing with manager Gianfranco Zola and the Hammers need money to help them in their bid to keep hold of prize assets like Craig Bellamy, Scott Parker and Matthew Upson.
The latter was another name considered by Sbragia but, like Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear, he found West Ham’s valuation of the England international prohibitive. Now Sbragia is preparing to reunite Davenport with former Hammers colleague Ferdinand in the centre of the Black Cats’ defence.
Sunderland are yet to sign anyone but Sbragia is making more progress in his attempts to prune a squad that was left top-heavy by Roy Keane’s extensive recruitment in previous transfer windows.
Sbragia has told six senior professionals that they are free to leave the club and two departed on a busy Friday at the Stadium of Light. The club reached a settlement with Graham Kavanagh so that the midfielder could join Carlisle United on an 18-month contract as player-coach, while Roy O’Donovan was also allowed to leave for Championship club Blackpool.
The 23-year-old’s Black Cats career now looks over after failing to net a Premier League goal following his move from Cork City.
But Sbragia’s insistence that neither El-Hadji Diouf nor Michael Chopra are for sale has led to Blackburn and Cardiff City dropping their interest in the Black Cats front-men. Despite the constant pressures of playing the transfer market, however, Sbragia is adamant that he will sacrifice his work on the training ground with the players. It was one of his concerns before taking the job on a permanent basis that he may not be able to coach as much as a manager but he will not compromise.
“I want to be on the pitch as much as possible. People say I'll have to change but I like to be out there on the training pitch,” he said.
