SUNDERLAND'S attempts to add some much-needed firepower to their attack for their return to the Premiership hit the buffers yesterday with £1m bids turned down for two Championship strikers.

The Black Cats had a seven-figure sum for Wolves' Kenny Miller rejected by the Molineux board before Watford snubbed a £1m bid for Heidar Helguson.

Miller and Helguson both scored 20 goals last season and, after having a bid of around £1.5m accepted for Blackburn's Jon Stead, it appears clear McCarthy is looking to spend around half of his transfer kitty on boosting his strikeforce.

Although Ipswich's Darren Bent was also as a target for Sunderland, Charlton's £3m capture of the striker last night should significantly strengthen Sunderland's hand in their bid for Stead.

Charlton are believed to be the Black Cats' rivals for Stead and, after a frustrating season at Ewood Park, the former Huddersfield man wants a guarantee of first-team football.

The 22-year-old may now see his opportunities at the Valley limited by their capture of Bent.

The news on Scotland international Miller will be a blow to manager Mick McCarthy, who sees the forward as a potential 15 goal-a-season man in the top flight.

But Wolves' chief executive Jez Moxey said: "We've been very pleased with Kenny's efforts over the past season, he worked hard and scored 20 goals.

"The cost of finding a 20-goal replacement would be far greater than what Sunderland have offered and, furthermore, the cost to any Premier League club trying to buy a striker of Kenny's age, experience, international status and goalscoring abilities would be greater than what is now on the table.

"The manager's had meetings with Kenny and the player has indicated he wishes to stay on the transfer list.

"We're aware he'll be out of contract next summer but unless we receive an acceptable offer, one that would enable us to buy a suitable replacement, we would prefer to keep him here and see him score goals for us next season.

"If he does that and helps us win promotion and becomes a Bosman player at the end of the season, then as far as I am concerned that is better than accepting a cheap sum now."

Meanwhile, Thomas Myhre is hoping to agree a new deal at Sunderland despite rejecting the club's first offer of a new contract.

With Ipswich believed to have accepted Sunderland's £750,000 bid for goalkeeper Kelvin Davis, Myhre knows the Black Cats won't wait forever for the Norwegian to accept a new deal at the Stadium of Light.

"I want to stay at the club and play in the Premier League," Myhre said.

"We have had an initial meeting, but I will talk to the manager again. It's about the length of the contract and the money is also part of it."

* Norwich goalkeeper Robert Green will hold talks over his future when he returns from holiday but he insists playing in the Premiership is a priority for anyone with England hopes.

Green made his England debut as a second-half substitute in Tuesday's 3-2 victory over Colombia in the Giants Stadium, and is already attracting interest from several clubs. He will meet Canaries manager Nigel Worthington later in the month.

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