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Socceroos captain Lucas Neill is talking with English Premier League club Sunderland as the new season looms next week.
A free agent after coming off contract with West Ham last season, Neill has continued discussions about staying with the London club while also checking his other options.
New Sunderland manager Steve Bruce revealed on Wednesday he’s sounding out the Australian defender as he boosts his team’s ranks.
“It’s a bit preliminary to say the least but we’ve had a little conversation to see where Lucas is at,” said Bruce, when announcing the club record STG10 million ($A20.2 million) signing of Tottenham striker Darren Bent.
“He (Neill) is another player who is experienced, he’s played in the Premier League and he’s on a free transfer, so that’s the attraction. We’ll see where he is, where his mind is at and go from there.
“I said when I walked through the door we needed four or five new faces and we’ve got four. If we can add another one or two we will do that.”
England international Bent signed a four-year contract with Bruce’s team, becoming the Black Cats’ fourth close-season signing after the arrivals of Fraizer Campbell, Lorik Cana and Paulo Da Silva.
Bent’s fee surpasses Sunderland’s previous biggest deal – the STG9 million ($A18.17 million) capture of Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon from Hearts.
Bent scored 55 goals in 141 appearances for Ipswich before joining Charlton, where he notched 37 goals in 79 games prior to his switch to Tottenham.
He netted 25 goals in 79 appearances at Spurs but never convinced boss Harry Redknapp he was worth a regular place. Redknapp even claimed his wife Sandra could have scored a chance Bent missed against Portsmouth last season.
But Bruce was delighted to get his man at last and said: “Good things come to those who wait. It has not quite happened for Darren at Spurs.
“But he has 50 goals in 100 Premier League starts and that speaks volumes about why we are bringing him to the club.
“He’s had the competition of the likes of (Dimitar) Berbatov, (Jermain) Defoe and (Robbie) Keane, but he has still scored goals when he’s been given games.
“He’s something different – he’s got pace, power, he’s young, he’s English and he gets goals.”
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