MICK McCARTHY has not ruled out a move for striker David Connolly as Sunderland plan their assault on the Coca-Cola Championship this summer.

West Ham United are looking for buyers for Connolly after the player had a bust-up with manager Alan Pardew.

The Hammers have offered the 27-year-old to Sunderland for £500,000 and he remains a front-man admired by McCarthy.

After allowing both Tommy Smith and Darren Byfield to leave the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats boss is keen to add at least one more forward to his squad ahead of the new campaign on August 7.

Ideally McCarthy would like to have new faces on board before he takes his playing staff to America for a pre-season tour on Sunday - although that now seems unlikely.

Connolly remains a firm candidate to be the next arrival at Sunderland, but Wolves' Kenny Miller is also an option providing the two clubs can reach an agreement over a fee.

Arsenal's Francis Jeffers has also been talked about as a possible capture on a season-long loan deal. And McCarthy admitted: "They are all good players and I can't confirm or deny my interest. They are all under contract at clubs. I am still looking for players and I will continue to do so.

"I'm looking for new players. I can bring them in if I get the right ones but I won't say how many. I would still like to supplement the squad.

"There are certain positions where I would like to strengthen. I want two players in every position, I want a squad of 22 to go into the season and it would be nice to have few versatile players in there.

"The younger lads will be very good players in the long term."

The next summer acquisition will join fellow new recruits Liam Lawrence, Carl Robinson, Dean Whitehead, Stephen Elliott and Steve Caldwell on Wearside.

Lawrence, an attacking midfielder comfortable in any position, has arrived from Mansfield Town and Whitehead has been snapped up from Oxford United - with fees to be decided by a tribunal.

Both players were playing in League Two, formerly Division Three, last season and McCarthy is convinced they will prove to be great signings.

The former Republic of Ireland manager's wheeling and dealing in the close-season has led to him looking to the first game in August - at Peter Reid's Coventry - with great optimism. And he has set his sights on automatic promotion this time around, following the disappointments of losing out to Crystal Palace in the play-offs in May.

"I said on the first day back in training, it's gone. We want a better season. That is the aim from day one," said McCarthy. "I've got the players I wanted. They are talented and young. Will they get straight in the first team? Time will tell.

"Certainly with Steve Caldwell, who has Premier League experience, Liam Lawrence got 22 goals and Dean Whitehead, who has played 140 odd games for Oxford, they are very experienced and very highly thought of.

"And Stephen Elliott has scored goals at every level. He has a spark in his eye.

"He's eager to prove he should have got a chance at Manchester City. He's keen to impress he should have been played more.

"I have hungry, ambitious players with talent. And I'm still looking for more players."

Julio Arca has returned to training with a clean bill of health and should be fit for the start of the campaign.

Arca had surgery on a knee injury towards the end of last season and had to miss the play-off push. Colin Healy and Matt Piper are unlikely to be fit for the start of the new campaign.