Source: Northern_Echo
Bruce is planning to talk to Gordon
STEVE Bruce will hold contract talks with Craig Gordon once the Sunderland goalkeeper returns from international duty with Scotland later this week.[LNB] Gordon is due to enter the final year of his current deal this summer, and Bruce is keen to tie his first-choice shot-stopper down to a new long-term agreement.[LNB] Persistent speculation has linked the 28-year-old with a possible move to Manchester United. That is unlikely to happen, with Sir Alex Ferguson expected to sign Ajax goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg as Edwin van der Sar's successor instead, but Bruce is nevertheless aware of further interest in Gordon's services.[LNB] As a result, he will attempt to agree a new deal with the Scotsman and his representatives before the end of the month.[LNB] Gordon suffered an afternoon to forget at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, but has still been one of Sunderland's most influential players in the opening six months of the season.[LNB] He spent a brief spell as Simon Mignolet's understudy following his recovery from an arm injury, but has successfully reestablished himself as the club's senior goalkeeper since returning to first-team duties in early November.[LNB] He is expected to win his 41st Scotland cap in tomorrow's Nations Cup encounter with Northern Ireland, and will return to Wearside to discuss his future before the end of the week.[LNB] We will sit down with Craig now that the transfer window is out of the way,[LNB] said Bruce. I hope that he will commit his long-term future to the club.[LNB] In the 20 months that I have been here, he has been playing at the top of his form.[LNB] At the back end of last season he was fantastic, but then he suffered a setback with his broken arm which he broke again in training.[LNB] Craig just needs to play regularly and keep himself fit, because since he has been here, he has missed big chunks. But he is paramount to what we want to do here. He is an excellent goalkeeper, so we will do our utmost to keep him here at Sunderland.[LNB] While Bruce is hoping to extend Gordon's stay at the Stadium of Light, he is close to agreeing a deal that will see Michael Kay leave Wearside permanently.[LNB] The 21-year-old full-back, who has made one appearance for the Black Cats' first team, has spent the last month on loan at League One side Tranmere Rovers.[LNB] He has agreed to remain at Prenton Park until the end of the season, but Tranmere boss Les Parry is hoping to finalise a new deal that will see him make a permanent move to the Wirral.[LNB] We are trying to bring Michael here permanently,[LNB] said Parry. It would be nice to make him our own player and get the right-back position sorted.[LNB] We have come to an agreement with Sunderland and next we're going to sit down with the player and his agent, who happens to be Colin Todd. It might not happen for quite a while or it might happen within a week.[LNB] * Jordan Henderson has withdrawn from the England Under-21 squad for today;s friendly in Italy. The midfielder suffered a knock in Saturday's defeat at Stoke, but the move is a precautionary measure to protect him ahead of this weekend's home game with Spurs.[LNB]
