Midfielder battle on cards

Sunderland are ready to battle it out with Tottenham after being linked with a move for Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill has already lost Gareth Barry to Manchester City but reports in the press claim he will cash in on Reo-Coker if a bid in the region of £9million is made.
O'Neill could be willing to use him as a bargaining chip as he targets Spurs midfielders David Bentley, Jermaine Jenas and Tom Huddlestone this summer and some kind of swap deal could be on the cards.
Meanwhile, new Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is also keen as he looks to build a side capable of pushing for the top 10 next season following last season's relegation scrap.