Town striker Connor Wickham is set to undergo a medical at Sunderland in the next 24 hours. The Blues and the Black Cats have spent the day in talks after the Premier League club offered a fee of £9 million plus a further £4 million in additional clauses based on appearances and achievements.

While last night’s tabloid report claiming that the Blues had accepted the offer slightly jumped the gun, it now increasingly appears that a deal is close to being concluded and we understand that the player is in the North-East this evening.

Despite previous suggestions from manager Paul Jewell that Wickham might not be interested in signing for one of the Premier League’s lesser lights, if a deal has been agreed with the Wearsiders and no other late offers are forthcoming, it’s difficult to see the Hereford-born frontman turning the move down.

Sunderland have stolen a march on the likes of Liverpool, the club Wickham supported as a boy, Spurs and Arsenal by firming up their interest in the England U21 international, making a bid which would make him the most expensive player to have moved from the Championship to the Premier League without previous experience in the top flight.

In 2006 Theo Walcott made the switch from Southampton to Arsenal for a fee which, after a renegotiation in 2008, eventually totalled £9 million, having initially been set at £12 million including clauses.

The deal would also make Wickham Town’s most expensive sale, smashing the £6.5 million Newcastle paid the Blues for Kieron Dyer in the summer of 1999.

Photo: Action Images

itfc1981 added 21:24 - Jun 28 Maynard please dear God!
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itfc1981 added 21:28 - Jun 28 3.5 for Billy 'I like to fail at big clubs' Sharp, I think not
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BrandonsBlues added 21:30 - Jun 28 so now we know why he did not play for England. Very disappointed but was inevitable with all the speculation. Can see us being left with 3 stirikers for next year with one more to move on. However anyone we want to buy now will be somewhat higher in price knowing we have £9m from Sunderland.
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ipswichtillidie added 21:30 - Jun 28 I'm convinced PJ is about to do a mini Liverpool. After they sold Torres everybody saw gloomy days ahead... Within hours 2 replacements had already been lined up and it was good business at that... I'm hoping we follow suit and will be announcing a couple of Big signings in the next 48hours.. I'm sure PJ and Clegg will be working on those deals now as we speak if Connor is as reported up narwf! I for one am hoping now there is some serious money to spend that we bring in some exciting prospects that will give us all the boost we need ahead of what I believe to be an exciting season although at the moment it's a bit misty out there!

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leroy2488 added 21:34 - Jun 28 I think this is a great bit of business. It would have been great to have seen what he could do up front next season, but he did not been play up front last year really, just on the left wing and Martin is a better left winger, so 13million for our 2nd best left winger is crazy really and we must bite Sunderland's hands off for it. To be fair if he was to have a mediocre season with us next year we would do well to get 2million in a years time, so it's good business, just look what's happened to some of our young strikers who were also tipped for greatness, like Bowditch and Clarke?

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Sniegster added 21:35 - Jun 28 Agree with most. Really sad if he does go, which I think he will now. But on the other side is that the money we get will be more than useful right now. Would rather it happen now than right at the end of the transfer window when all the best players have gone. Also if we hang onto him after all this hype, he will become a target for some of the bruisers and thugs (we've all seen the types of teams and players who just kick lumps out of people) in the Championship, and could end up injured here anyway.

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3starsandahorse added 21:38 - Jun 28 Its good money for someone who is so young and still to prove himself at the higher level. What it will do is push the price up of anyone we want to buy for the rest of the summer!
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alfromcol added 21:39 - Jun 28 Really disappointed, Can't believe that he is going to Sunderland. Time was on his side and he had no reason to go to the first club to make an offer for him. However, good luck CW, you will need it up north.If you thought it was cold at PR last winter, just wait until the winter in Sunderland
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martin12120137 added 21:42 - Jun 28 oh well at least we can pay off all the pensions now haha!!
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ericgatesrules added 21:44 - Jun 28 Good shout legoman. Priskin and Copra could/should work... remember we have PJ for full pre-season and full championship season... lets not even think of what moody/aggressive/shoddy/useless RK did pre January. PJ is our man and can create goals from these two. See you all at Bristol City on 6th Aug. Easy for us.. i live in Bristol. COYB, UTT, Sir Bobby Legend etc. etc.

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ericgatesrules added 21:49 - Jun 28 I meant Chopra, you all knew that. Damn that Red Wune.. did that on purpose!
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north_stand77 added 21:52 - Jun 28 Will be very sorry to see him go prematurely, would loved him to have stayed one more season, even on loan back. Next season maybe a bit dull without him. IMO its often better to have one really exciting player to half a dozen mediocre ones. After all, dont we go to football for the buzz? Left feeling a bit cheated, on a bigger scale than when we lost Rhodes! Good luck to Connor though.

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pgc added 21:53 - Jun 28 Should have turned it down. Surely they'd come back with an improved offer and other clubs would come in. If he stayed his value would go up next year if he has a good season.
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jas0999 added 21:54 - Jun 28 IF the deal concludes - the important thing now is recruiting an excellent replacement for Wickham. It would be unacceptable if we now leave it at just Chopra and Ellington - particularly if Scotland also leaves the club. Am expecting some great signings in the coming weeks, or I can see (particularly reading comments about this sale on a number of sites) the fans moral being very low by the start of the season. Having said that - all the best to Wickham IF he leaves and I can fully understand why the club is cashing in. Just hope they have a replacement in mind!

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bluearmy4life added 22:02 - Jun 28 Shame, Wish Connor all the best but he is leaving town with un-finished business. I just hope we get a decent replacement in. Up until now been impressed with the additions and getting excited for the new season but feel this is taken the icing off the cake.
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Crazee added 22:06 - Jun 28 Like the majority I feel being realistic that if this deal does go through then it's a good bit of business really. However, I am very concerned at how much PJ will be given from that for the war chest. Being the businessman that he is, I can see ME keeping hold of a large wedge of that fee to set off against our debts. And of course there is the question of how much we get from Sunderland in the way of installments - from what I can ascertain, very few clubs pay the full fee in one hit. It could well be a case of £3m now, £3m in the New Year and £3m at the end of the coming season, or something along those lines. It is now vitally important that we do attempt to replace the experienced players we have lost with proven talent and not rely on too many might be's from the lower leagues - although I do trust PJ to get the best possible. However, will some perspective "quality" signing just see this as a sign of a "selling club"? I think the rest of the summer and early weeks of the new season could be quite a roller-coaster ride .... again!

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churchmans added 22:08 - Jun 28 result! Expecting a lot of signings in the next couple of weeks! Wont miss him judging on last season.
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cressi added 22:09 - Jun 28 The only thing that saddens me is that Evans and Spencer of the board are worth about 1.3 billon and here we are selling the crown jewells instead of keeping him and saying to Jewell heres 20 mill get us promoted like us spending a tenner yes theres no fool proof method off going up but man city proved money helps
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Lightningboy added 22:09 - Jun 28 Crap move for Connor in my opinion. Let's hope we don't get some of Sunderland's cast-offs dumped upon us as part of this deal..sadly,we probably will. We need to go back in for Bullard now if we want to keep our fans happy.
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churchmans added 22:10 - Jun 28 crown jewels my arse!!
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Ipswich24 added 22:12 - Jun 28 Cressi good point look at Leicester they really want promotion this season and are buying some real real talent. We needed to keeep Connor and get rid of the crap we do have and build a great team around him. We are always going to go sideways or backwards with this attitude
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cressi added 22:13 - Jun 28 Churchmans ob clueless and silent at games do the two go together ?
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reuser90 added 22:14 - Jun 28 So sad to see another 'up and coming' leave us.......but it's a hell of a lot of money for as yet unproven potential to turn down. i think it will be a real show of intention by the club if PJ is given all of the money to invest...........but will he??? and of course as stated on here before, every Town targets price will rocket! reasonably happy with the signings thus far......but would like to see more 'young and hungrys'!! still looking forward to the season, all the best Connor, COYB!!!!!

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churchmans added 22:14 - Jun 28 lightningboy! You know that! Get bullard in! Money no excuse now!
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Breedonblue added 22:16 - Jun 28 Bloody great *sigh*! Can't remember being so fed up with ITFC. I am so disillusioned with the Club and football in general right now. We've lost the core of the team and any hope for the future. We can only attract players nobody else wants and the last bit of hope is leaving us. I don believe a word SC & PJ say anymore. It's all money, money, money.
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