Reports: Sunderland Reject Spurs Star, City Striker Off The Menu

According to reports published today, Sunderland have rejected the chance to take Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tom Huddlestone on a seasons loan, with the burly middle man instead arriving at Stoke City.

Huddlestone has struggled with injuries in recent years after joining the Londoners as a highly tipped youngster from Derby County. Having failed to regain his former glories upon returning to full fitness, he has been deemed expendable by Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas.

It would make sense that we didn't pursue this move, and you can't imagine Martin O'Neill having to spend too long thinking about it. We're well off in the middle of the park, and arguably Huddlestone isn't particularly an upgrade over Lee Cattermole or Jack Colback for a starting position. There's nothing he could gain here, nor we could gain.

It's also looking like Manchester City striker John Guidetti is also off the list of possible targets as the Swede looks to be, against all odds, signing a new deal at the Etihad Stadium following his recovery from a virus which lost him the use of one leg earlier this summer.

According to Guidetti's agent there were several clubs in for the talented youngster, but with nearly every local media outlet here in the North East reporting that we're no longer pursuing the striker you'd have to assume this is the case.

I'd have quite liked to see Guidetti here, but with the impending addition of Steven Fletcher to the squad along with recent arrival Louis Saha, things are looking up in our biggest position of need. This would allow us to look potential at a new left-back should Kieran Richardson be allowed to leave the club, as he's requested he'd like to do so.