Everton will hold talks with Sunderland target Don Hutchison next week in a fresh bid to resolve his future.

Hutchison has been in limbo since the club put the midfielder on the transfer list after he rejected a new contract offer, calling it a ''disgrace''.

Hutchison, who has one year left on his Blues deal, did return to the fold at the end of the season, but remained on the market after Walter Smith rejected a £1m offer from Peter Reid.

Smith hopes to clear up some of that uncertainty when he sits down with former Hartlepool trainee Hutchison when the Scottish international returns for pre-season training next Wednesday.

''All the players are due to come back next week,'' Smith said.

''With Don's situation at the present moment, I don't think there's any doubt that we will have to have a chat.

''So we will speak to Don when he comes in to training next week.''

Smith's stance towards Hutchison is softening partly because of the imminent departures of John Collins and Nick Barmby.

The discussions open up the possibility that the 29-year-old could yet stay at Goodison Park, but that remains a long shot.

''That's something we will have to look at and a decision between the club and Don is a private thing,'' Smith said.

''That's something we have to discuss and you can't pre-empt something like that.''

Meanwhile Black Cats' pair Mark Convery and Michael Proctor are to spend four months on loan at Danish side Hvidovre Fodbold, the club owned by former Manchester United keeper Peter Schmeichel.

Convery and Proctor have appeared regularly in the reserves and manager Reid said: ''This is an exciting chance for both players to gain some valuable first-hand experience of playing competitive football in Europe.''

Schmeichel, who is now with Sporting Lisbon, bought a stake in the club last season.

Meanwhile, Reid is reported to be close to sealing a free transfer for Austrian goalkeeper Jurgen Macho, 22, from FC Vienna.

l Bradford chairman Geoffrey Richmond is poised to shatter the club's transfer record for the second time in a matter of days having just paid £2.5m for David Hopkin.

Richmond and new manager Chris Hutchings are now lining up a striker to add to their core of fresh faces this week, with Hopkin joining Bosman recruits Ian Nolan and Peter Atherton at Valley Parade.

The City chief has knocked down speculation linking Bradford with a move for Coventry forward Noel Whelan, but Fulham's Geoff Horsfield and Jason Roberts of Bristol Rovers are among the rumoured targets.