STEVE BRUCE will launch a multi-million pound move for former Middlesbrough midfielder Lee Cattermole once he has been confirmed as Sunderland’s new manager.

Bruce was last night on the verge of accepting an offer – thought to be a three-year deal, worth more than £2.5ma- year – to become the first appointment of the Ellis Short era at the Stadium of Light.

After successful face-to-face talks with chairman Niall Quinn on Monday, there were further discussions throughout yesterday that should ensure Bruce leaves Wigan and becomes Ricky Sbragia’s successor on Wearside.

Watch the press conference with Niall Quinn and Steve Bruce:

With a compensation package that begins at £1.75m already agreed with Wigan, Bruce could be unveiled at a press conference later today.

The former Manchester United defender is expected to take three members of his backroom staff at the DW Stadium with him: assistant Eric Black, goalkeeping coach Nigel Spink and coach Keith Bertschin, a former Sunderland striker.

But his raid on his old employers is unlikely to stop there, with combative midfielder Cattermole in his sights less than a year after he paid £3.5m to Boro for his services.

It is an indication of the regard Bruce has for the England Under-21 man that he made him Wigan’s captain last November – despite the fact he was just 20 at the time.

The Latics would be reluctant to lose the player at this stage, although it is thought that Cattermole would jump at the chance to follow Bruce to his native North-East.

The 48-year-old manager, who has flown back from a holiday in Portugal to finalise the move, will be asked to turn Sunderland into a top ten Premier League team, which would fulfil the short-term aspirations of American owner Short.

In discussions with Quinn, Bruce is aware of the need to keep the club well clear of trouble again after last season’s difficulties, and the days of him being handed a handsome bonus for avoiding relegation – as he was at Wigan – are over.

He will, of course, be given financial backing from Short to help achieve those goals and knows he will have to act quickly to restructure the squad he has inherited.

Sunderland have already released eight players, including loan signings Djibril Cisse, Tal Ben-Haim and Calum Davenport, but the offloading is unlikely to stop there.

And with the likes of Cattermole in sight, Bruce will be looking to make use of the largest transfer budget he has had available to him since stepping into management at Sheffield United 11 years ago.

He also faces the task of trying to win over Sunderland supporters given his previously stated support for arch-rivals Newcastle United.

Corbridge-born and brought up in Wallsend, Bruce has spoken of how he crawled under the turnstiles at St James’ Park as a boy – a fact that will have been noted by many Black Cats fans.

It is becoming more and more likely that when Bruce leads Sunderland in the Premier League next season, they will come up against an angry former player.

Djibril Cisse has described the frustration he felt after learning he would not be staying at the Stadium of Light beyond this season.

He has returned to Marseille from a season-long loan which cost the Black Cats a £2.5m fee, and is now attracting interest from Harry Redknapp at Tottenham.

And while Cisse – who was top scorer with 11 goals last season – is interested in staying in the Premier League, he claims to have been messed around by Sunderland.

“Honestly, I am sad at the way it ended,” said Cisse.

“They knew, they did not decide on the Monday morning (day after the season ended) to not take the option.

“So they could have been straight with me, and said ‘You have three more weeks, and then we are finished’.”