Sunderland have signed Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha on a season-long loan.
The 23-year-old has made 113 appearances for City since coming through the club’s academy and is still held in high regard by manager Roberto Mancini.
But the arrival of Jerome Boateng and Aleksandar Kolarov has ensured there will be strong competition for places in City’s defence so Mancini has decided a loan spell would be best for the player.
And Black Cats boss Steve Bruce was delighted to add further quality to what he hopes will be an improved defence at the Stadium of Light.
Bruce told the club’s official website: “He’s big, quick and powerful – a really good defender, who, despite his age, has already player over 100 games. He has all the attributes a modern defender needs.
“Nedum is someone I’ve tracked for a long time so it’s great to get the deal done to bring him here.
“He can play anywhere across the back line, too, so it’s great to have added that flexibility and some strong competition for places.”