Sunderland make bid for four Spurs players

Sunderland have bid for four Tottenham players as they look to significantly boost their squad ahead of the new Premier League season. Midfielders Steed Malbranque and Teemu Tainio plus defenders Pascal Chimbonda and Younes Kaboul are all the subject of a bid by the Black Cats. Manager Roy Keane had earlier refused to be drawn on the identity of his transfer targets but revealed he wanted to make five or six new signings before the start of the season on August 16. It followed the news that striker Kenwyne Jones had been ruled out for up to two months with knee ligament damage. Spurs striker Darren Bent has also been linked with a move away from White Hart Lane - with Sunderland again one of the mooted destinations. The Black Cats fly out to Portugal today with no new faces among the party despite being linked with a host of... [read full story]