Sunderland have £13m Wickham bid accepted

The Daily Mail has reported that Sunderland have a £13 million offer accepted by Ipswich Town for 18-year-old striker Conor Wickham.
£5 million is to be paid up front by the Black Cats as Sunderland manager Steve Bruce looks to be a step closer in securing the 6'3 striker.
The departure of Darrent Bent and Danny Welbeck from the Stadium of Light in recent months has left Bruce shorn of striking options.
The combined transfer fees of Jordan Henderson and Darren Bent, who left for a total sum £40 million, means that Sunderland are not short of purchasing power.
The England Under-21 international is one of the country's brightest young talents and has netted 13 goals in 65 games for the Tractor boys.
A counter offer is widely expected as Wickham has been heavily linked with Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal.

Sunderland Bid £8m For Connor Wickham

Sunderland have made what is understood to be the first firm bid for Ipswich Town striker Connor Wickham with an offer of £8 million.Steve Bruce's side had been heavily linked with a move for Wickham two weeks ago, with reports suggesting that the Mackems were battling with Premier League rivals Liverpool for the teenager's signature. Any such reports were shown to be false at the time after the club revealed that no bids had been received, but it is believed that Bruce has now tabled a firm offer for the 18-year-old, potentially sparking a bidding war with other prospective suitors.Although Wickham recently extended his contract at Portman Road until 2014, the deal is widely thought to include a clause which will allow the England U21 international to hold talks with any club that bids a certain minimum figure, believed to be between £10 million and £15 million. Sunderland's offer is reported to include several clauses which may subsequently raise the value of their bid above the £10 million threshold, but Wickham is unlikely to move to the Stadium of Light if a rival bid is received from the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal, who were all linked with the striker during last season.

Rumours about Wickham's future have been spreading for a long time but speculation has grown notably in recent weeks, particularly following the arrival of new strikers Michael Chopra and Nathan Ellington at Portman Road. However, Town manager Paul Jewell has already stressed that Wickham is still very much in his plans for next season.

'We don't want to sell Connor Wickham, but if he wants to leave and the right offer comes in then we'll have to consider it,' Jewell told BBC Radio Suffolk. 'But until then - Connor's never given me any indication he wants to leave - our backs aren't against the wall, we're in control of the situation.'

Liverpool to Launch Adam and Dann Bids

Kenny Dalglish could take Liverpool's summer transfer spending to more than £35m by the end of the week should he lodge bids for both Charlie Adam and Scott Dann, but the Scot will face competition from Arsenal if he chooses to step up his interest in the Birmingham defender.Dalglish has already lavished £16m on the former Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson and is expected to lodge a formal offer of around £9m with Blackpool for their captain in the next 48 hours.Adam is known to be keen to move to Anfield and formal talks with the Bloomfield Road club are expected to start on Thursday.But the Liverpool manager faces a rather more complicated task in attempting to recruit the defensive cover he believes his squad requires, with Dalglish weighing up the merits of moving for Dann, a boyhood Liverpool fan, with the risk of missing out on a second defensive target in a week.Liverpool had hoped to beat both Arsene Wenger and Manchester United to the signature of Phil Jones -- although the Anfield club always feared losing out to the champions should they enter the race for the Blackburn player's signature -- but, since the completion of his transfer to Old Trafford, both Liverpool and Arsenal have been forced to examine alternatives.Top of the list both on Merseyside and in north London is Dann, with Wenger thought to be considering moving for the 24-year-old as well as Blackburn's towering Congolese international Christopher Samba as he seeks to add height and power to his side.Despite his childhood allegiance to Anfield, it is believed Dann is tempted by the prospect of Champions League football on offer at the Emirates, while Wenger believes he offers better value for money than Bolton's Gary Cahill and the same technical accomplishment.Liverpool are determined to infuse Dalglish's squad with a core of British talent and have identified Dann as a potential complement to Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel.The club are examining a number of other candidates -- including Lyon's Dejan Lovren -- but their hand may be forced by Arsenal's interest.Dalglish is also hopeful of concluding swift deals for Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy, Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing, Roma goalkeeper Doni and Ipswich striker Connor Wickham as he attempts to conduct the majority of his transfer activity before Liverpool return for pre-season training at Melwood on July 4.The Anfield club are also expected to sign Frenchman Sylvain Marveaux, the Rennes winger, on a free transfer.

Goalkeeper Pepe Reina has undergone surgery on a double hernia. However, the Spanish international is expected to be fit to return for the start of pre-season training

Spurs near £15m Wickham deal

Tottenham are closing in on a deal that would see Ipswich wonderkid Connor Wickham join the North London side for £15m, according to the Daily Mail.

17 year-old Wickham scored a hat-trick in their 6-0 thrashing of Doncaster on Tuesday night, and has previously had attention from a host of Premier League clubs. The main rivals for his signature would appear to be North London neighbours Arsenal, although they may be put off the high transfer fee required.

It is understood however that Tottenham are in pole position, having already held talks with the Ipswich board over a possible summer deal. With the player having recently signed a new contract iuntil 2013, that included a minimum fee release clause, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp could be happy to match it to bring the England U21 international to White Hart Lane.

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