CHAMPIONSHIP newcomers Hull City are ready to make Marcus Stewart the highest-paid player in their history in a bid to lure him away from the Stadium of Light.

The Sunderland striker, who has scored 16 goals in his side's Championship-winning campaign, is out of contract at the beginning of next month.

Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy has repeatedly refused to discuss his plans for the forward, claiming that all contract talks will remain on ice until the club have received the Championship trophy on Sunday.

But, despite helping the Wearsiders win promotion to the Premiership, Stewart has hinted that he does not see his own future in the top-flight.

Despite scoring 19 Premiership goals during his first full season at Ipswich, the 32-year-old has grudgingly accepted that he may struggle to repeat such feats some five years later.

That has alerted a number of Championship clubs to his possible availability, with Hull City currently leading the chase for his signature.

The Tigers sealed their promotion from League One last month and manager Peter Taylor has already spoken of his desire to bolster his strikeforce.

Leeds United's Julian Joachim has also been linked with a move to the KC Stadium, but Stewart is understood to be at the top of Taylor's wanted list.

The England Under-21 boss is expected to formally approach the frontman in the next fortnight, and is willing to offer him more than £10,000-a-week, a figure that would make him the biggest earner in Hull's history.

"Peter and I have had a number of chats about possible targets over the past couple of weeks," confirmed Hull chairman Adam Pearson. "But we are yet to sit down and finalise anything."

The likely departure of Stewart would leave Sunderland seriously short of strikers as they prepare for life in the Premiership.

With significant question marks over the fitness record of both Kevin Kyle and Michael Bridges, McCarthy will not want to start the new season with just Stephen Elliott and Chris Brown on his books.

The Black Cats boss is expected to make the capture of a proven Premiership goalscorer his number one task this summer, and Birmingham striker Clinton Morrison increasingly looks like being the player to fit that bill.

Morrison, who played under McCarthy for the Republic of Ireland, was an 84th-minute substitute as Birmingham beat Blackburn last weekend.

He has spent most of this season warming the bench and, while he has one more year left on his contract at St Andrews, he has hinted he may leave this summer in the search for first-team football.

"I just want to have a chance to show what I can do," said Morrison. "I want to stay, but it is important for me to be playing. I am not one of these guys who just sits there and collects his wage packet and is happy with it."

The 25-year-old is expected to discuss his situation with Steve Bruce after the final game of the season and, should the Blues boss fail to guarantee a starting spot next term, Sunderland will be able to lure him to Wearside for a fee of around £2m.

"I will have a meeting with my agent and the boss as soon as possible," added Morrison. "I will say that I just want to play as much as possible.

"The manager has spoken to me and he says he wants me to sign a new contract and that I am part of his plans.

"But I will have to see what happens. Maybe I will have to move on. I hope not, but the only way I will sign is if I am going to be playing football."

l Sunderland are close to completing the signature of Irish Under-21 international Daryl Murphy.

The Waterford striker spent a week on loan at Championship side Ipswich earlier this season, but the Black Cats are expected to tie up a deal to take him to Wearside early next week.

"We are not far away from a deal, but it has not happened yet," confirmed Waterford boss Alan Reynolds. "Negotiations are ongoing with Sunderland, but I would say we are not far away and something could happen in the next few days."