Welbeck set for Sunderland

Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck is undergoing a medical at Sunderland, with Steve Bruce also keen on Craig Bellamy.

The Red Devils youngster emerged as a transfer target for Black Cats boss Bruce earlier this summer and it a season-long loan deal is close to being completed.

Bruce was looking to bolster his attacking options even before the £8million sale of striker Kenwyne Jones to Premier League rivals Stoke on Saturday and has revealed he would also be keen to land out-of-favour Manchester City striker Bellamy.

Welbeck will now provide additional competition up front alongside last season's leading scorer Darren Bent and Fraizer Campbell.

The 19-year-old has made just two Premier League starts during his Old Trafford career but is regarded as a talented prospect.

He spent the second half of last season on loan with Championship club Preston, scoring two goals from his eight appearances.

With Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, Federico Macheda and new signing Javier Hernandez all ahead of him in the pecking order, Welbeck's opportunities in the North West appeared limited.

He has now elected to join former Old Trafford favourite Bruce at the Stadium of Light with his loan switch expected to be finalised in the next 48 hours.

Bruce said: "We're very close to bringing in young Danny Welbeck from Manchester United. He's a young man but he'll fit into our squad fantastically well.

"We've got him here this morning. It looks like the formalities are done as long as he comes through the medical and we hope to announce him later on today."

Source: Sky Sports
Date Published: 12 August 2010

Latest Forum Comments

Have your say on Welbeck set for Sunderland in the United Online forum

Read Campbell is out for 6 months, but I can see Welbeck getting a fair amount of games.

- Shaun

The Mackems seem to think that Campbell is done for the season, which only leaves them Bent & Welbeck up top.

- Jonesy

Linked with Asamoah Ghan today. Good move for Wellbeck imo. good manager, good fans and a chance to nail himself as a first teamer early. I could see Bruce playing danny out wide in a sorta 433 with all the centre mids they have. Fraizer Campbell played that role quite well for them last season.

- birchy

Oh absolutely, definitely more games than he would get with us but not necessarily being a regular starter. I very much doubt that it'll be like the situation when Rossi went to Newcastle and was practically ignored.

- John

Yeah there's rumours of Bellamy but can't see them having the wage budget or him wanting to go there. Hopefully he'll get more games for them though than he would for us otherwise what's the point in sending him on loan.

- Dave

Safe to say at 1-1 with 80 on the clock his appearance from the bench wouldn't generate the same level of hope you get at the sight of Macheda going through his final stretches. A loan spell where he'll play week in week out will take him on that level that I can see him reaching when he's hopefully fulfilled his potential.

- jonny

It'd be a good move, Jones is very injury prone, I think he'd get a decent amount of football - which he needs for me, I'm still far from convinced that he's good enough.

- Jonesy

I agree with Dave in that I think that Welbeck would benefit from some time on loan at a Premier League club. Not ready for our first team but I wouldn't write him off just yet. In that regard, I'd be more concerned with Macheda.

- John

Bruce might see him as a wide option though? Even if not, he'd still have a better chance of first team footy there given that we have Rooney, Berbatov, Owen, Hernandez, Macheda and Diouf all in the queue.

- fenwar