Source: Telegraph
Sunderland target Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin instead of Richard Dunne
Sunderland are closing in on the French defender and Bruce is hoping a £5 million offer will be enough to extract him from Fratton Park in a move suggesting Sunderland have been put off by the valuation of his former City colleague, Dunne.[LNB]Dunne was initially the top defensive target for Bruce, who also confirmed his interest in former West Ham defender Lucas Neill, when he arrived as Sunderland manager in June .[LNB] Related ArticlesPortsmouth sign NiemiPortsmouth sign PiquionneVilla swoop for BeyePremier League transfersPremier League Transfer TalkSport on televisionBruce's need for a centre-half has been heightened by the red tape that means Paulo Da Silva will miss the start of the new season.[LNB]'They haven't got a British embassy in Paraguay, so they have to leave our country and go to Mexico to get his passport stamped with a visa,' Bruce said. [LNB]'The passport/visa though had to go from Mexico to New York - why the hell that is I don't know - then back to Mexico and then he's up there.[LNB]'It's a shame for the boy; he's been there 17 days, stuck. Maybe we'll send in the SAS to get him out of there. We have to be governed by the rules. He's got the work permit, but it's the visa he needs.[LNB]Sunderland also seem certain to step up their efforts to recruit the combative Wigan midfielder, Lee Cattermole, who served Bruce with distinction last season at the JJB Stadium.[LNB]'I bid for Lee three weeks ago and the need is not as urgent as it was then because we've brought in Lorik Cana and the form of Jordan Henderson and Grant Leadbitter have given me food for thought,' Bruce said.[LNB]'There has only been one bid, we weren't encouraged at Wigan that they wanted to sell so we looked elsewhere. Whether we revisit that I'll make my mind up in the next days or weeks."[LNB]Bruce will hand Darren Bent his Sunderland debut in a friendly at Hearts on Saturday.[LNB]'Signing Darren Bent shows the ambition of the club and where we want to try and take it,' Bruce added. 'We've smashed our record fee and rightly so on a centre-forward I believe will flourish here.[LNB]'He just needs to go and play. His goals ratio at Tottenham was terrific and if he can come and do that for us we'll be delighted. Any team is only as good as its strikers.[LNB]'They're the most important ones. Strikers make a difference and with the options we've got we're happy.'[LNB]
