Sunderland agree fee for Stoke City striker Fuller
Stoke City have accepted a bid of £3m from Sunderland for striker Ricardo Fuller, reports BBC Radio Stoke.
The 31-year-old Jamaica international has scored 48 goals in 177 appearances since joining the Potters from Southampton in the summer of 2006.
Sunderland are looking for a striker to replace Darren Bent, who moved to Aston Villa for an initial £18m on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Carlo Nash, 37, has signed a one-year contract extension at the Britannia Stadium.
Fuller, Stoke's leading scorer in each of the last three seasons, has found the net three times in 23 games so far this term.
It is understood that the much-travelled former Crystal Palace, Preston North End and Portsmouth man would not pass a medical on Wearside, but Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is prepared to make a concession.
Fuller has a long-standing knee injury, as well as a problem left shoulder, which he dislocated in a 2-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light in February 2009.
As well as seeing Bent depart for Villa, Sunderland have also lost on-loan striker Danny Welbeck for eight weeks after exploratory knee surgery.
With Fraizer Campbell a long-term injury absentee, Sunderland have just one fit striker, Asamoah Gyan, for Saturday's game with Blackpool.
Bruce, who criticised Villa boss Gerard Houllier in the wake of Bent's move, said on Thursday: "We've got irons in the fire with four or five. Ricardo Fuller could be one of those.
"I like him. I think he's a player that has done very well in the Premier League. Watch this space."
Fuller is under contract at the Britannia Stadium until the summer of 2012, but is thought to have been keen to renegotiate a wage that would put him on a more equal footing with Stoke's highest earners.
Despite Fuller's potential move, City assistant manager Dave Kemp said on Thursday that the Potters had not received a bid for the striker.
"There's nothing to report," said Kemp. "An announcement will be made if anyone is leaving but, right now, that isn't the case.
"We're not under any pressure to sell. We're just trying to get a good squad together for the second half of the season."
As a potential prelude to Fuller's departure, Stoke have agreed to sign Villa striker John Carew on loan for the rest of the season.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/9369178.stm
