Sunderland manager Steve Bruce admits the chances of signing Danny Welbeck on a permanent deal are slim.
Welbeck joined the Black Cats on a season-long loan deal from Manchester United in the summer, and his stock has risen considerably in the last couple of weeks with four goals in three games.
But Bruce, who previously admitted he would love to bring Welbeck to the Stadium of Light full-time, concedes United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to want to keep hold of the 20-year-old forward.
He told the Sunderland Echo: “Danny is playing terrifically well at the moment and the Premier league is beginning to sit up and take notice.
“I’m delighted for him because I think he’s really finding his feet in the Premier League with us and his success is our success.
“But, in terms of converting any loan player to a permanent signing, you have to accept it’s a fact of life that in most cases, the better they do the less chance you have of getting them.
“And the way that Danny is going, if he continues his progress, he’ll be out of the reach of any but the very biggest clubs around.”