Source: Northern_Echo
Jones on his way, Onuoha to sign
SUNDERLAND last night moved a step closer to offloading striker Kenwyne Jones after agreeing a surprise deal with Stoke City.[LNB] At around the same time as it emerged that manager Steve Bruce had lined up a season-long loan for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, the Black Cats agreed to allow Jones to head for the Britannia Stadium.[LNB] The Trinidad & Tobago international, a £6m signing by Roy Keane, was leaving the North-East last night to discuss personal terms on a transfer that could eventually be worth in excess of £10m.[LNB] Stoke boss Tony Pulis has been a long-term admirer of the Sunderland forward but looked incapable of landing his man after January interest from Liverpool.[LNB] However, after the departure of Rafael Benitez and a lack of Anfield funds, their decision to back out has paved the way for Stoke to move in and make a proposal to Sunderland which has been accepted.[LNB] Jones could move initially on loan to the Potters.[LNB] For Bruce to give the goahead for Stoke to talk to Jones he must be confident of pulling off at least one other deal for a new striker in the next few days.[LNB] He hopes to land Danny Welbeck from Manchester United on a season-long loan, but bringing in a new targetman could also be in his thinking if Jones agrees terms.[LNB] Sunderland's position as one of the prime movers in this summer's transfer market was reinforced when they convinced City to let them have Onuoha on loan.[LNB] Despite limited transfer funds at his disposal, Bruce is on the verge of making the Nigeria-born England Under- 21 international, who can play centre-back and right-back, his seventh signing of the summer.[LNB] He follows Cristian Riveros, Simon Mignolet, Marcos Angeleri, Ahmed Al-Muhammadi, Titus Bramble and John Mensah, while Manchester United's Welbeck is set to join before the end of the week.[LNB] Onuoha's arrival is expected to signal the end of Anton Ferdinand's Sunderland career with Matt Kilgallon close to finalising a loan switch to Middlesbrough and George McCartney, David Healy and Teemu Tainio also headed for the exit door.[LNB] Jones' departure from the club would, however, be more controversial.[LNB] Tottenham and Fulham are also monitoring the situation, but selling him to one of Sunderland's Premier League rivals would leave Bruce with Darren Bent as the only established striker in his squad days before the new season begins.[LNB] Bent's niggling back problem forced last season's leading goalscorer to withdraw from the England squad that faces Hungary this evening.[LNB] Welbeck is due to join on loan before Saturday's visit of Birmingham City, but despite the 19-year-old forward being very highly regarded at Old Trafford, he is unproven in the top-flight.[LNB] The Potters are determined to recruit a proven striker this summer and are reportedly willing to pay up to £10m for Jones.[LNB] Jones struggled last season to recapture the form that led to him being billed by Chelsea defender John Terry as probably the best striker in the air in the entire Premier League when Sunderland returned to the top division three years ago.[LNB] His powerful physique made him one of the most feared targetmen in the league and despite Spurs and Liverpool lodging bids of up to £16m for his services, Sunderland fended off interest in the striker who signed a fourand- a-half-year contract in January 2009.[LNB] But Jones' form since Bruce arrived at the Stadium of Light has been fitful. He has failed to offer a convincing argument that he is the ideal strike partner for Bent.[LNB] With Sunderland owner Ellis Short proving unwilling to sanction a spending spree to match the type of outlay that saw Bent and Lee Cattermole join the club last summer, the sale of Jones would afford Bruce further flexibility in the transfer market and help fund a move for £6m-rated Wigan Athletic winger Charles N'Zogbia.[LNB] Welbeck's impending arrival and the emergence of Fraizer Campbell as a potential partner for Bent could persuade Bruce to cash in on one of his most coveted assets.[LNB] If Stoke are successful in their bid, Jones would join Rory Delap, Danny Higginbotham, Liam Lawrence, Danny Collins and Dean Whitehead in swapping the Stadium of Light for the Britannia in the last three seasons.[LNB] Bent is back on Wearside to receive treatment on his back injury but Sunderland face a race against time to get him fit to face Birmingham.[LNB] The 26-year-old was unable to join in any training sessions after linking up with Fabio Capello's squad on Monday and following medical assessment he was forced to admit defeat in his bid to earn a seventh England cap.[LNB]
