Source: Northern_Echo
Hutton deal at impasse
SUNDERLAND'S hopes of landing Alan Hutton this summer have been dented by Tottenham's insistence he is now worth more than £9m. Steve Bruce remains keen to get the Scotland right-back to the Stadium of Light on a full-time basis after an impressive loan spell. But Sunderland are only interested in concluding a deal for considerably less than what Tottenham paid Rangers in January 2008. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was originally out to avoid a loss on that original £9m deal, but Sunderland have now learned he would prefer to make a profit. Levy has a history for proving difficult to bargain with, having had difficult negotiations with Quinn and Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb in recent years. He will have to accept Sunderland will offer anywhere near the figure he wants and Bruce has already started to work on a list of alternatives. Hamburg's Guy Demel remains on the radar, while Sunderland have also been alerted to the fact former Newcastle defender Habib Beye has been told he can leave Aston Villa. I guess with Alan we need to have a Plan B. It could very well change tomorrow because we're really just inquiring, said Quinn. We're looking at people but we've no idea of the fees because as soon as you go to a club and ask what it would cost it's all over the papers. If I go to an agent and ask him to find out what a player would cost, you know he's adding a million on. We're not quite ready yet. The situation Sunderland are in with Hutton, who they rate between £4-6m, is similar to that which they are facing with John Mensah. Former French champions Lyon are reluctant to allow the centre-back to leave on the cheap, having paid around £7m at the same time Hutton left Rangers. Bruce is desperate to add Mensah to his squad, feeling that replacing a defender of his international quality will prove difficult this summer. But given his chronic injury problems, which prevented him from playing more than 16 times during his loan season in the Premier League, Sunderland refuse to pay over the odds. Negotiations will continue in the hope that a pay-as-youplay deal or another loan arrangement can be struck, but hopes are receding. Ryan Noble, Sunderland's promising young striker, has been named in the England Under-19 squad ahead of a group of Elite Qualifying matches next month. The 18-year-old this season scored 25 for the Academy team and 12 for the reserves.