Sunderland first-team coach Charlie Oatway has claimed that manager Gus Poyet is desperate to enjoy a productive pre-season with the squad this summer.
The Black Cats have been busy since avoiding relegation, with Billy Jones and Jordi Gomez already securing moves to the Stadium of Light, and Poyet will want the majority of his transfer business finished as soon as possible, according to one of his assistants.
"He likes to get everything in place within that five or six week period over the summer so that he can get on with organising things for when the group comes back," Oatway is quoted as saying by the Sunderland Echo.
"It would be nice to hopefully get all the players he wants in, but I know he will want to get as many as he can in place.
"What is really, really important to us is having a good pre-season - having the players you want around club early on so you can educate them in the way you want to play."
Reports on Wednesday suggested that Poyet was targeting Fenerbahce duo Raul Meireles and Moussa Sow.
Callum Mulvihill
