Jones move offers chance to trim wage bill
Aug 11 2010 by Luke Edwards, The Journal
KENWYNE Jones is on the verge of completing a shock move to Stoke City as Sunderland put the finishing touches to a deal which will give Steve Bruce far more flexibility in the transfer market.
Although Jones has been an important part of the Black Cats side which has managed to slowly re-establish Sunderland as a top-flight force, Bruce is not convinced he has either the appetite or drive to take the team on to another level.
Jones (pictured right) has been moaning about his position at the club for several weeks and has been a pale shadow of his normal self in Sunderland’s pre-season fixtures.
Indeed, some would argue the 25-year-old has been more interested in sulking than trying to prove he still has a part to play in a club which intends to challenge for a top-ten finish this season and Bruce has been infuriated by the lack of effort.
At £9m the deal was too good for Sunderland to turn down, especially as Bruce has been asked to trim the wage bill and Jones is one of the top earners at the Stadium of Light. The board are also keen on completing the transfer of a player the manager has privately expressed his reservations about on several occasions as it means they will be able to wholeheartedly back his plans to sign Nedum Onuoha from Manchester City.
Onuoha, capped 21 times by England at Under-21 level, will be offered the chance to become Sunderland’s first-choice right-back. He can also play at left-back and centre-back if needed, which would make him an excellent addition to the Sunderland squad.
And that could happen before the end of the week with the Nigeria-born 23-year-old likely to arrive on loan with a view to a permanent deal.
Sunderland’s interest in Charles N’Zogbia also remains concrete, although they are not going to get anywhere near a deal unless Wigan significantly reduce the fee they are quoting, which is understood to be around £8m.
However, Wigan’s determination to hold on to the former Newcastle United prospect is not as firm as it may seem. The winger, who received his first call-up to the France squad last week, was due to be offered an improved contract last season but that offer has never materialised.
The 24-year-old has also indicated he would like to follow Lee Cattermole and Titus Bramble to Wearside, which may end up forcing Wigan’s hand before the close of the transfer window.
Jones had initially thought he would attract bids from some of Sunderland’s bigger Premier League competitors, but rumours of interest from the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool have not gone beyond that.
In contrast, Stoke have been willing to make an official approach and the two clubs have spent the last 48 hours haggling over the size of the fee, as well as the structure and schedule of the payments.
Bruce is keen for the deal to go through as quickly as possible so that he can get moving again in the transfer market and, significantly, he has not tried to talk Jones out of the idea of leaving as he feels the move is in the best interests of both parties.
It remains to be seen whether Bruce looks to sign a replacement for Jones. Danny Welbeck will arrive on a season’s loan from Manchester United, but he is not a target man in the Jones mould. However, Bruce has talked about employing a more mobile strike-force this season, particularly away from home, making the most of the pace of Darren Bent and Fraizer Campbell, so he may not feel the need to bring in anyone else in this window.
Sunderland’s manager would also like to see Anton Ferdinand, George McCartney, David Healy and Teemu Tainio move out in the next fortnight.
Meanwhile, Darren Bent remains hopeful that he will be fit enough to face Birmingham City this weekend after pulling out of the England squad for tonight’s friendly against Hungary with a sore back. The striker returned to Wearside yesterday for intensive treatment and intends to figure in the Premier League curtain raiser.
