Sunderland yet to make a bid for Guy Demel

Jan 19 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

They will hope to barter down his price tag on the basis that they could have him for free in the summer, but Sunderland’s need is for players now. They travelled to Chelsea at the weekend with only three senior defenders available and spectacularly paid the price, being fortunate only to concede seven goals to the rampant Blues.

Demel, who spent the 2000-01 season at Arsenal without making a first-team appearance, can play anywhere across the back four and as a holding midfielder, although it is at right-back where he has played most of his career.

Bruce is anxious for cover in the position because Phil Bardsley is the only recognised player he has there. It is a similar story at left-back, where he is looking to recruit Maynor Figueroa as back-up to George McCartney.

Centre-backs Nyron Nosworthy and Paulo Da Silva have had to fill in when Bardsley has been unavailable.

Sunderland have rejected the suggestion that striker Kenwyne Jones is set to join Liverpool on loan, while rumours of a swap deal with Wigan Athletic contradicted Bruce’s comments at the weekend.

The Black Cats were said to have offered Kieran Richardson plus £2m for long-time target Figueroa.

But in answer to a question about exchanging Jones for Liverpool’s Ryan Babel, Bruce said on Saturday: “I’m trying to build a squad to improve and the last thing I want to do is trading.”

Daryl Murphy is another Sunderland player who has been linked with a move elsewhere. Championship side Swansea are the latest club credited with an interest.

Meanwhile, Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has again questioned Bruce’s transfer record at the club.

Whelan put the Latics’ 9-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur down to the signings Bruce made last January – his final window before moving to Sunderland.

It seemed a questionable theory given that the majority of Wigan’s team that day were players bought before or after that period, and one Bruce brushed off as a deliberate smokescreen to take the pressure off current manager Roberto Martinez.

But Whelan has risked angering Bruce further by revisiting the issue.

“He inherited a very, very iffy squad,” said the businessman. “I know Steve Bruce questioned me on it. The worst one was the lad Marlon King, who went to prison.

“We paid £3m for him. I did not like that buy.

“I don’t think we should have signed someone like that and I said that to Steve.”