Sunderland Agree Deal With Scottish Striker

The deal to bring James McFadden appears to be nearing an end as Martin O'Neill told reporters yesterday that a deal was indeed very, very close for the Scottish international.

McFadden has spent a number of weeks on trial with Sunderland in a bid to secure a club after he was let go by Everton at the end of last season, and Martin O'Neill hasn't been shy in showing his admiration for McFadden.

It's been expected that McFadden will sign a short-term deal with the club, with a view to extending it if he get's in the first team, but until he can find full fitness that still seems some way off, as O'Neill explained;

We have agreed in principle something which would suit us all. That would be a contract for a couple of months.

I still feel James is a bit short of what I would consider real proper fitness. And I'm delighted to say he's not one of those lads who would not want to hang around if he couldn't make progress.

It's an arrangement that we still need to verify but it might suit us all. It provides an incentive for James to get in to the side over the next couple of months.

It's a deal that suits all parties. We need cover in the attacking midfield positions and obviously he requires a job.