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

Tillz9 added 20:21 - Jun 28 Oh well , always going to happen but am still disappointed. Good luck to him, hope he goes on to great things. Maynard please !
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AndyUK61873 added 20:23 - Jun 28 not to bad....and for those that play Football Manager 2011....the sale price on there was 10m when I tried ot not sell the board stepped in and took the money....now i know what Clegg does in his spare time.
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nearly50yearsblue added 20:23 - Jun 28 Take the money and move on.Fantastic money for an unproven 18 year old. Just hope we can have some of the funds to spend on the quality players to get us up rather than freebies. Happy shopping PJ.
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Martus added 20:24 - Jun 28 Dang nabbit!! The future was looking good with Chopra and Wickham upfront . . . . . . . . but hopefully theres some sort of deal where we get first dibs on him if they want too loan him out or dibs on any Sunderland play they want to loan out. And as for Manyard . . . . . . HA! will he heck come to us
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Martus added 20:26 - Jun 28 AndyUK61873 : on mine they accepted £4 mill offer with out me knowing, i was furious . . . . . . . but got him back on a free and now hes worth £800,000 so this could be good businesss . . . . . . .
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Handsome_Lizard added 20:27 - Jun 28 Take the money and spend throughout the team promotion within 2 years.
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Tillz9 added 20:27 - Jun 28 Maynard is first choice if it was that simple. We will prob end up with what would have been my 11th choice though !! Doubt he would come to us but worth a punt ! Also see Charlton are going to sign Dale Jennings from Tranmere ahead of Bayern Munich .... Can't we hijack that deal. He looks a quality player !!
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Mark added 20:27 - Jun 28 The fans on the Sunderland Echo website seem a bit nervous about spending that kind of money on a player who has only scored a few Championship goals (13 goals in 65 games). He has loads of potential, but a £9M+£4M bid (if it is that) is too good to turn down. I hope it includes a decent sell-on fee, as he may well move from Sunderland to Liverpool in a year or two if he is successful! Accept the money and hand Jewell the money to build us a side that can challenge for promotion. We certainly need several players, for example our only proper full-back is 35-year-old Mark Kennedy!

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Sindre94 added 20:27 - Jun 28 typical Ipswich, gets rid of the talents... bent, wickham, rhodes, etc... Im sick of it, although its good money
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Kropotkin123 added 20:28 - Jun 28 Good luck to the guy. Good business for Ipswich and hopefully a good move for him. Would have been nice to have him loaned back for the year, if they aren't going to play him straight away
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TractorCam added 20:28 - Jun 28 So how much do we get?
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legoman added 20:29 - Jun 28 Oh well that means my Chopra Priskin combo has a chance of a trial at least.
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NW5Tractor added 20:39 - Jun 28 remember that when we sold dyer (previous record), we went on to sign 4/5 1st team players who got us promoted the next season... lets hope
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PunchNoHopers added 20:40 - Jun 28 Will leave us with just Chopra, Ellington, Scotland and Priskin, with no youth, no enthusiasm and no energy in that lot, it doesn't bode well next season if he goes! Can't help thinking we should wait until him and Chopra link up successfully for a season and get us promoted, then he might be worth nearer 18m!!
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Reus30 added 20:41 - Jun 28 Good luck Connor, sure ITFC fans will look out to see if you start some games in the Prem. But lets move on, get the squad replenished and up to playoff standard
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bedsitfc added 20:41 - Jun 28 if he goes good luck to him and i hope he turns into the player we were hoping he would. with the money i hope it is invested in the squad but i couldn't blame evans if he decided to pay back some of the money the club owe him.
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nearly50yearsblue added 20:42 - Jun 28 I think they may be milage left in Sharp and Coppinger coming to Town,if Wickham departs. Not done and dusted yet. More twists than the Birmingham Bullring.
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Marshalls_Mullet added 20:46 - Jun 28 Bit gutted but its a good price, bet Reading are gutted they lost him for nothing!! With McAuley, Norris and Wickham now gone thats the spine of our team to replace. I have faith in PJ however.
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Gilesy added 20:46 - Jun 28 I can only assume Wickham's never been to Sunderland. Apparently, after being heavily bombed during the war, large sums were made available for its reconstruction. Work is expected to start soon.
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CanadianBlue added 20:46 - Jun 28 Disappointed that we could lose a promising player but am hopeful that the money will be spent wisely. Jewell seems to have a good eye for a player at a low fee which will no doubt ensure we've got a side able to challenge for the title. It's all good and well having a promising strikeforce but we desperately need reinforcing in other areas - something Wickham's fee will help with.

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Crock added 20:47 - Jun 28 Clegg out. He should not be sold for anything under 20 millions. With him we can get promoted and his price after promotion will be much much higher.
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Karlosfandangal added 20:47 - Jun 28 Need a class striker now as Chopra will not be able to do it. Chopra injurie prone Ellington has done nothing in 4 years Scotland and Priskin waste of space and Murray not ready yet. O yes Bullard Norris Mcauley and now Wickham gone our best 4 players from last year Mid table town again but playing better football or worse
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ITFCMonk added 20:48 - Jun 28 Goodbye Connor.. best of luck for the future, hope you go on to do great things like i know you will
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itfcjc added 20:48 - Jun 28 Shame but we can get a good few squad members with that Sharp Coppenger St ledger Treacy Bullard? Long shot Cresswell
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Amberjadewickham added 20:51 - Jun 28 Connor Wickham shouldnt go he is the best thing which happened to ipswich and u r willing to let him go
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