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Stoke City have been strongly linked with Lee Cattermole during this transfer window and earlier today it was rumoured that they had either increased their bid for the midfielder or improved the terms of their previous bid.
Now Stoke's assistant manager Mark Bowen has admitted that Cattermole is wanted by the Potteries side, who hope to sign him before the 11pm transfer deadline;
It's been well documented we are in discussions with Sunderland about Lee Cattermole. Lee is a player we've admired for a while and it's transfer we're trying to get over the line.
We've got to be confident we can pull it off. You have to be when you approach a club about any player.
Bowen then said the upcoming Capital One Cup final, where Sunderland take on Manchester City, may complicate any potential deal;
Sunderland have reached a cup final too so it's a big decision for the player.
He then explained what Cattermole would bring to the Stoke side;
He is highly-rated and got attributes that can enhance any club and he is a much under-rated footballer.
People tend to look at the other side of his career [disciplinary record] but he's a player who can bring quality.
But said people were wrong to just assume that because Sunderland signed Liam Bridcutt that they would be happy to let Cattermole go;
It's like the case with Sunderland. People see them bringing in a midfielder and think it's a simple case of one in, one out...
With Stoke talking so openly about an opposition player, it likely means that this transfer has a very good possibility of going through.
