Town have confirmed the signings of Grant Leadbitter and Carlos Edwards from Sunderland. Edwards has put pen to paper on a two-year deal, while Leadbitter has signed for three years.

The Black Cats have confirmed that they will receive up to £2.6 million for Leadbitter and £1.35 million for Edwards, although it is likely that smaller fees will be paid up front with further cash due after set numbers of appearances and promotion. The duo are amongst a number of Sunderland players to be linked with the Blues throughout the summer.

Chester-le-Street-born Leadbitter, who has won England caps at U20 and U21 levels, is a Sunderland fan from childhood, coming the youth system on Wearside.

The 5ft 9 in tall midfielder, who Keane compared to Paul Scholes in style during his time at the Stadium of Light, made his first team debut in the 2003/04 season and has now made 69 starts and 54 sub appearances, scoring 11 goals.

Sunderland’s longest-serving player until completing his move, Leadbitter spent time on loan at Rotherham in 2005.

Edwards, like Leadbitter a key member of Roy Keane’s Sunderland side, was reportedly watched by Town in 2004 during his time at Wrexham.

The Trinidad and Tobago international eventually moved on to Luton in 2005 on a free transfer, having joined Wrexham from Defence Force in his home country in 1999.

The 5ft 11in tall right-sided winger, who can also operate at full-back, joined Keane's Sunderland for £1.5 million in January 2007.

Capped 74 times by his country, scoring four goals, Edwards's first season at the Stadium of Light was hampered by a hamstring problem and then a broken leg. Those injuries limited the 30-year-old's Sunderland appearances to 37 starts and 19 games from the bench, yielding five goals.

Last season, Edwards, who is contracted to the Black Cats until 2010, spent a month on loan at Wolves, making five starts and one sub appearance but failing to score.

The midfielder, who played every minute of Trinidad and Tobago's games at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, including their 2-0 defeat to England, is currently away with his national side ahead of games against Honduras and the US.

Photo: Action Images

fizzyblue added 22:16 - Sep 1 Davidmurry, you dont have to read it mate no one is forcing you its only a bit of fun! chill out and lets hope we bloody get him.. have a bit of inside info that he should be ours for a season come 2-weeks... get in! Would stick with mcauley and bruce CB's for the meantime, wouldnt like to pick either LB or RB. What about the O'conner lad? Thatcher? Dunno! Midfield and strikers sorted Keeeeeeaaaannnnooooo! Keeeeeeeaaaaannnnnnooooo!

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jesus added 22:24 - Sep 1 Okay all of you who quote Wikipedia need to know this: anyone who has registered with Wikipedia can edit almost anything in Wikipedia. I can go right now and change Gio's entire Wiki if I want to. Spurs website is probably using a database and it seems like there's a glitch with Gio's bio, or the web content guy is either incompetent or messing with you for fun- either way, you shouldn't get too excited about a minor stats section of the official spurs website telling you he's playing for Ipswich this season!

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BrightBlue added 22:43 - Sep 1 Jesus, I think most of us have established that. It doesn't stop us hoping for a miracle by the name of GIO DOS SANTOS!!
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thebeat added 22:48 - Sep 1 Not good enough, Martin's his only decent signing so far and these 2 arent exactly exciting, the Edwards signing baffles me as we already have Walters in that position, we needed a goalscoring centre forward and a decent defender and Roy failed to deliver, all his talk is bravado, the jury is well and truly out as far as im concerened
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EssexTractor added 22:52 - Sep 1 Question-- for debate--- many on here are drooling over todays two signings.. so if they are that "mouth wateringly" good, why were they not in the Sunderland first eleven ..and why did no PL clubs want them?...
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jesus added 23:16 - Sep 1 BrightBlue Okay. Got it.
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TractorBoy added 23:32 - Sep 1 Wright Edwards Bruce McAuley Wright Walters Colback Leadbitter Martin Priskin Counago Sorted :D
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PvtHudson added 23:57 - Sep 1 A few Man u fans have said they hear we are going to loan young striker Macheda. that would be good (if its true!!!)
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NorseBlue added 00:38 - Sep 2 Essex Tractor - Steve Bruce tried to sign Leadbetter for 3m in Jan of this year, before he was Sunderland boss. He then came out about a week ago (now as Sunderland boss obviously) saying he didn't want to lose him but he couldn't guarantee him a first team place. The Sunderland fans are all gutted about losing him. All that's enough for me - that and the fact he's only 23 and already played 110 games for his club, and has been playing premiership football for most of his young life. Absolute quality and fantastic signing. Don't know whether at 30 Carlos Edwards is still the player he was - but he was very good. We'll see....

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NorseBlue added 00:51 - Sep 2 Sources down in Berkshire have confirmed that David Wright has gone from itfc and we have signed leon Rosenior from Reading in a swap deal. Don't know how true this is, but it highly unlikely as Rosenior turned down a move to Hull just two days ago. Think it would be another incredible signing if it happened though.
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alex12345 added 07:41 - Sep 2 We have signed Richard Wood according to the sun,, it reported a headline of something along the lines of keane signs trio so I read on and it said we'd signed carlos edwards grant leadbitter and Richard wood so we have that decent elusive centre back we all wanted Nice work Keano, now get in a few loans, gio for one, rosenior as another and maybe one of the Manchester united young lads like wellbeck, macheda or Gibson. COYB

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ItfcLoyal added 07:58 - Sep 2 Do think Thats true or a load of tosh ?
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tommyblue added 08:29 - Sep 2 i also saw that in the sun, but never no how true things are with the papers?
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Keanos_Barmy added 08:35 - Sep 2 Best news for me from deadline day is that we haven't sold Garvan. Perhaps a successful loan period (tba) will bring it home to RK that he has a future at Portman Road - alongside Leadbitter maybe?
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