Bruce admits Catt concerns

20 July 2009 11:17
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce fears he could miss out on Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole but has confirmed his interest in Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh. The new Black Cats boss has finances available to strengthen his squad and has identified his former Latics charge and the Morocco international as two targets. Wigan have stated they have no intention of allowing the combative England Under-21 international to move on, while Chamakh has attracted admiring glances from of a number of Premier League clubs. The 25-year-old is eager to leave the French champions and has seen Sunderland, Blackburn, Fulham, Tottenham and Arsenal all linked with his services. The stance of Bruce's former club over Cattermole means he may be forced to look elsewhere, while the Wearsiders' bid to land Chamakh does not appear particularly advanced. "We are interested in Lee Cattermole and we'll keep in touch with Wigan hoping to do something there," he told the Sunderland Echo. "But there will come a time when you have to accept that you are not going to get a certain player and at that point you have to move on. "That might prove to be the case with Lee. We'll just see how it goes." And on Chamakh, he added: "We have had an interest in the player but, like several players we just have to wait and see what happens." One player who will definitely not be heading to the Stadium of Light this summer is Crystal Palace full-back Nathaniel Clyne. Press reports suggested that the Wearsiders were planning a £3million bid for the defender, but Bruce has dismissed the speculation out of hand. He said: "No, he's not a player that we've been in for and there's been no bid."

Source: SKY_Sports