Source: PA
Bruce reluctant to just sign `numbers'
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will not spend for the sake of it in January as he targets the key men he believes will help take the club to the next level.
Bruce has twice broken the Black Cats' record transfer fee during his 18 months to date at the Stadium of Light to sign £10million England striker Darren Bent and Ghana counterpart Asamoah Gyan, who cost him in excess of £13million.
However, despite having been linked with the likes of Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia, Manchester City's Adam Johnson and Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing in recent weeks, he is not expecting to be too busy next month.
Bruce said: "We are in a position now where, to get better than what we have got - for instance, if there was X amount of pounds to spend, I would spend it on one player.
"I would think we are at that sort of level now. But to get a player like that, who I have in mind, they are simply not available. I wouldn't have thought they are available, anyway. We will just have to be patient and wait for the right one.
"Sometimes in January, you have to give yourself an injection or give your club a lift. I don't think we need that at this particular moment unless the right one becomes available - and if he does, believe me, I will knock on the chairman's door. I am not going to go and just add to the numbers."
