Gus: Sunderland Prepared To Spend

Sunderland's lack of a breakthrough in the transfer market is not due to an unwillingness to spend money, according to Gus Poyet.

In truth, it's hardly a bombshell that a club with a widely reported potential £14m offer accepted for a player have money to spend, but Poyet has been keen to stress that a lack of ambition is not the root of Sunderland's frustrations. He told reporters:

I hope the fact that we are after players like him [Fabio Borini] shows the quality of players that we are trying to bring to the club.

It shows we are committed and prepared to spend money.

But now we are looking to move on with other players too because it is not just about one player it is about the whole squad and there are other areas to look at.

He's a player that everyone wants to see but our transfer work this summer is not just about one player, it's about the squad and there are other situations we need to work out.

Obviously things become clearer once we know what will happen with Fabio, but we are still able to progress in other areas and it is important that we do.

In addition to Borini, Poyet has also confirmed that Sunderland are holding talks to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Cristian Rodriguez, and still retain their hope of brining Marcos Alonso back to Wearside on a permanent deal.

If the popular Spaniard is to return, though, it seems a little patience is required. Poyet explained:

It's close, but not close enough.

Everything is on track. It's just like I explained before. These deals for everything to come together, so many people need to be happy. It's not that easy.

We need to look at other things as well because depending on how much you spend on a player, it depends what else you've got.

We're trying hard. It's been a bit more difficult than I expected, but we're not going to stop.

Reports from Italy suggest that Fiorentina are willing rather than desperate to sell Alonso, so they hold a strong hand in negotiations. It is believed that the Viola are hoping to receive an 'indecent' fee for the defender, reported to be €5m plus Mobido Diakite. Whether Sunderland will be willing to go that high remains to be seen.

Anyway, fun and games and stuff. Just a usual transfer window really.