Steve Bruce appears resigned to losing Kenwyne Jones before the closure of the transfer window with Stoke City the favourites to sign Sunderland's Trinidad & Tobago striker for around £9m. The two clubs are understood to be holding talks about a potential deal tonight.
Jones would ideally prefer to move to London but Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, has so far failed to reignite his interest in a forward he has pursued throughout previous transfer windows and, unless Fulham or Liverpool enter the equation, Stoke appears his most likely destination.
Should the deal go through, Jones, who has scored 26 goals in 94 Premier League appearances for Sunderland since his £6m arrival from Southampton, would become the sixth player to swap the Stadium of Light for the Britannia in three years.
Although Jones has distanced himself from comments attributed to "friends" which indicated he wanted a transfer, by using other "friends" to claim he is not unhappy on Wearside, his relationship with Bruce is fragile with Sunderland's manager frequently questioning the work-rate and desire of a centre-forward once described as "my toughest Premier League opponent" by John Terry.
It seems the 25-year-old's forward's performances this pre-season have been found wanting, dictating that a player who was coveted by Rafael Benítez at Liverpool last January could soon be on his way to the Potteries.
Jones's exit could also help Bruce to finalise a move for Danny Welbeck. A loan deal for the young striker has been agreed in principle between Manchester United and Sunderland but Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, is slightly concerned that Welbeck may not be given sufficient first‑team opportunities at the Stadium of Light. If Jones leaves such worries would be largely erased.