WIGAN chairman Dave Whelan has told Sunderland to forget about signing Lee Cattermole this summer.

Black Cats boss Steve Bruce has spent the week assembling a list of transfer targets after taking up his new post at the Stadium of Light on Monday.

The former Wigan manager took Cattermole to the JJB Stadium from Middlesbrough last summer, and is hoping to persuade his former employers to part company with the England Under-21 international during the current transfer window.

He is yet to make a formal offer, but Whelan is aware of Sunderland’s interest and is determined to do all he can to prevent one of his side’s most influential midfielders from leaving Lancashire.

New Latics boss Roberto Martinez will be granted the freedom to shape the Wigan squad as he wishes, but Whelan does not envisage Stockton- born Cattermole returning to his native North-East.

“Lee is going nowhere,” said the chairman. “You just cannot replace these kind of players.”

Bruce, who is also interested in Manchester City defender Richard Dunne and Tottenham striker Darren Bent, is not expected to start making formal offers for players until the start of next month.

He will also delay sanctioning any departures until the start of pre-season training.

While there are sure to be exits from the Stadium of Light this summer, with the likes of Paul McShane, Anthony Stokes, Carlos Edwards and Greg Halford all expected to sever their ties with the Black Cats, Bruce is keen to see all of the current squad at first hand in training before he starts to prune his resources.

Sunderland’s players are due to return for the start of pre-season training on July 1, with the club’s first pre-season game scheduled for The Northern Echo Darlington Arena on Thursday, July 16.

Meanwhile, Martinez has wasted no time in making his first signing as a Premier League manager with the capture of Espanyol midfielder Jordi Gomez.

The 24-year-old playmaker had little hesitation in agreeing a three-year contract, despite interest from a number of clubs around Europe.

Gomez played under Martinez on loan at Swansea last season, scoring 14 goals in the Coca-Cola Championship, and the relationship between the two was a key factor in the deal happening so quickly.

The signing of Gomez for a reported £1.7m represents something of a coup for Martinez considering the quality of opposition also tracking the former Barcelona youth team player.