MICK McCarthy last night completed his Premiership preparations by making striker Andy Gray Sunderland's tenth signing of an action-packed summer.

The Scotland international, who spent most of yesterday on Wearside discussing personal terms and undergoing a medical, has put pen to paper on a three-year contract after completing a £1.1m move from Sheffield United.

McCarthy had tried to sign the 27-year-old when he moved to Bramall Lane from Bradford last February but, despite failing to get his man on that occasion, the Black Cats' boss is delighted to have finally added Gray's talents to an attack that already includes fellow new-boy Jon Stead.

"Andy will add experience and know-how to our strike-force," said McCarthy, who is likely to pitch his new signing straight into the squad that will face Charlton on Saturday.

"He will complement our existing strikers and, at 27 years old, he's in his prime.

"His style of play gives us another option up front and I think this is another excellent signing for Sunderland."

The Black Cats will pay an initial fee of around £750,000 for the frontman, with a further £350,000 being based on appearances and Sunderland's performances in the Premiership next season.

Harrogate-born Gray scored 15 Championship goals as Sheffield United narrowly missed out on the Premiership last season.

The former Leeds striker scored the opening goal of the new English season as the Blades beat Leicester 4-1 last weekend, despite already being aware of McCarthy's intention to renew his attempts to lure him to Wearside.

Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock pulled him out of the side that travelled to Burnley on Tuesday and, after informing the Blades' boss of his intention to leave Yorkshire, Gray lost no time in travelling to the North-East to complete his move.

His arrival on Wearside sees him follow in the footsteps of his father, Frank, who made 146 appearances for the Black Cats after being signed by Lawrie McMenemy in 1985.

While Gray's Sunderland career will begin on Saturday, goalkeeper Mart Poom faces a battle to safeguard his footballing future.

With West Brom shot-stopper Joe Murphy signing on a season-long loan to join fellow newcomer Kelvin Davis and youngster Ben Alnwick, injury-plagued Poom is unlikely to feature at the Stadium of Light this season.

With the Estonia international having been on the sidelines since last October, McCarthy's provision of additional cover suggests his entire career could be at risk following a succession of serious knee problems.

Poom, who was Sunderland's established number one at the start of last season, first injured his knee in October's 1-1 draw at Watford.

The 33-year-old went under the surgeon's knife the following week and was originally expected to return to the first-team fray before Christmas.

Instead, Poom's scheduled return date was pushed further and further back as he ultimately failed to appear again in the final seven months of the season.

His fortunes appeared to be improving as he was recalled to the Estonian national squad this summer, only for him to drop out of contention citing a minor knee infection.

That problem has been serious enough to rule him out of the whole of Sunderland's pre-season and, with a return to action seemingly as far away as ever, McCarthy has been forced to look elsewhere for goalkeeping cover.

The Black Cats' boss clearly has little faith in Poom's powers of recovery and the arrival of Murphy could well mark the end of the line for the former Derby stopper.

Murphy is likely to find himself on the bench when Charlton visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday as Alnwick is currently nursing a minor knock that is likely to keep him out of contention.

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