SUNDERLAND are set to make Cabral their first major summer signing after agreeing the terms of a four-year deal with the Basle midfielder.

Cabral, who hails from Cape Verde but also boasts Swiss citizenship, is set to join as a free agent after running down his current contract with Basle.

The 24-year-old holding midfielder, whose full name is Adilson Tavares Varela, has been courted by a number of clubs in the last 12 months, and was close to reaching a pre-contract agreement with Blackburn Rovers earlier this year.

However, Sunderland officials have spent the last week in talks with the former Swiss Under-21 international and his representatives and are confident of concluding a deal.

Cabral's advisors hinted that a contract had been agreed yesterday evening, and the transfer is expected to be confirmed at the start of next month.

Having made his senior debut with Lausanne, Cabral joined Basle on a free transfer in 2007 and was briefly loaned to Sevilla's B team.

However, he rejoined Basle for the 2009-10 season and was an integral member of the side that won the Swiss double.

He competed in the Champions League the following season, scoring against Roma, and played in both matches against Manchester United in 2011 as Basle secured a 3-3 draw at Old Trafford and a surprise 2-1 win on home soil.

He was involved in Basle's run to the semi-finals of last season's Europa League, where they lost to Chelsea, and recently expressed a desire to play international football for Cape Verde rather than Switzerland.

His arrival will place a question mark over the future of Sunderland skipper Lee Cattermole, who is yet to feature under Di Canio because of a long-standing knee problem.

With Alfred N'Diaye also on the books, it remains to be seen whether Di Canio wants three naturally defensive midfielders in his squad next season.

Sunderland's incoming director of football, Roberto Di Fanti, is understood to have been heavily involved in the negotiations with Cabral, and the deal provides an early indication of the type of player the Black Cats are likely to be tracking this summer.

Ellis Short has long bemoaned Sunderland's inability to attract young, cut-price players from relatively unexposed markets, and part of Di Fanti's remit is to change the prevailing philosophy when it comes to the club's transfer methods.

Di Canio is hoping to sign at least half-a-dozen players this summer, and Andreas Weimann is another midfield target.

The Aston Villa winger, who is also interesting Newcastle and Norwich, is about to enter the final year of his existing contract.

Villa officials have been attempting to agree a new deal for a number of weeks, and while Weimann has so far failed to commit himself to anything, he is expected to decide on his future within the next fortnight.

There will also be a number of departures from Wearside this summer, with Celtic having included James McClean on their list of potential targets.

The Scottish double winners are hoping to strengthen their ranks in the close season, with McClean regarded as a viable attacking midfield option.

Di Canio is keen to retain some of the squad he inherited from Martin O'Neill, but the Republic of Ireland international is understood to be one of the players he would be willing to move on if an acceptable offer was forthcoming.

McClean burst on to the scene in O'Neill's first season at the Stadium of Light, but his form dipped markedly last term and he found himself dropped to the substitutes' bench on a number of occasions.

He has been involved in a number of off-field controversies during his time in the North-East, with Sunderland's own supporters booing him on more than one occasion, most notably when he refused to wear a commemorative strip bearing a poppy emblem.

A change of scenery could be the best thing for all involved, although it remains to be seen whether Celtic can come up with a financial package that would be accepted at the Stadium of Light.

The Glasgow club cannot match the finances of any of the clubs in the English Premier League, but sources in Scotland suggest they would be willing to pay £2-3m for an established player like McClean.

Sunderland shelled out £350,000 to sign the 24-year-old from Derry City, so any seven-figure fee would represent a considerable profit.