Cats make pounds 13m offer for Crouch; Bruce also in for Campbell.

Byline: JAMES HUNTER 

SUNDERLAND have bid pounds 13m for Portsmouth's Peter Crouch and opened talks with Manchester United's Fraizer Campbell as Steve Bruce steps up his efforts to bring more firepower to Wearside.

The Black Cats are understood to have offered an initial pounds 11m for England hitman Crouch, with another pounds 2m in add-ons.

However, they face competition from one of Crouch's former clubs Aston Villa and fellow admirers Fulham and Blackburn.

New boss Bruce is determined to make a 'statement signing' to show Sunderland mean business - and Crouch fits the bill perfectly.

Crouch is known to be unsettled by the onoff takeover situation at Pompey and would need little persuasion to move.

The Wearsiders are also in discussions with Campbell's representatives as they look to sign the highly-rated England under-21 frontman.

Campbell was a target for Hull City last summer after a successful year-long loan spell at the KC Stadium, in which he finished as the club's top scorer with 15 goals as the Tigers win promotion to the Premiership.

Instead he signed for Spurs on loan last season as part of the deal which saw Dimitar Berbatov leave White Hart Lane for Old Trafford, although his first-team chances were limited with the Londoners.

Hull returned last month with a pounds 6m bid for Campbell which was accepted by Man United, and Sunderland would have to agree to at least match that figure to be given permission to speak to the 21-year-old.

Bruce is keen to revamp his squad this summer and has been given a significant transfer budget by new owner Ellis Short.

Sunderland have already started talks with Spurs striker Darren Bent with a view to a pounds 10m switch - and the moves for Crouch and Campbell are further evidence of the kind of quality the new manager wants to bring to the club.

While Bruce concentrates his efforts on bringing in new blood, Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce is reportedly weighing up a bid for Sunderland's Trinidad and Tobago striker Kenwyne Jones.

Sunderland rejected an pounds 18m bid for Jones from Spurs in January, and the former Southampton man signed a new improved contract with the Wearsiders less than six months ago.

However, Allardyce is hoping that, if Bruce lands Crouch, Campbell and Bent, he might be willing to let Jones - who was Sunderland's joint top-scorer last season with 10 goals - leave.

Bruce's shopping list does not just extend as far as strikers - he also wants to bring midfielder Lee Cattermole to Sunderland from his old club Wigan, while Manchester City skipper Richard Dunne has emerged as his principal defensive target.

Out-of-contract Paraguay international centre-back Paulo Da Silva has also been offered a contract by the Wearsiders.

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TALL ORDER: Sunderland have put a bid in for Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch