SUNDERLAND were last night on the verge of agreeing a deal to land former Newcastle United target Matt Kilgallon.

After spurning the Magpies’ advances earlier this month, the Sheffield United centrehalf had reportedly signed a pre-contract agreement to join Everton when his Blades deal expires at the end of the season.

But the Wearsiders have pounced to offer the highlyrated 26-year-old an opportunity to play Premier League football now rather than wait until the summer.

After being shown around the Academy of Light yesterday morning, £2m-rated Kilgallon is expected to agree terms on a switch to the Wearsiders, as Steve Bruce fulfils his promise to strengthen his defensive ranks during the transfer window.

Sunderland’s back four were exposed horribly at Stamford Bridge last weekend ,where a combination of injuries and suspension left the Black Cats’ rearguard looking worryingly threadbare.

Bruce’s priority remains the acquisition of two new full-backs, with Maynor Figueroa, Guy Demel and Alan Hutton among his leading targets. But the chance to sign Kilgallon, voted Sheffield United player of the season last year, proved too tempting for the Sunderland boss.

His arrival could also sound the death knell for Anton Ferdinand’s Sunderland career, with the former West Ham defender linked with a return to his former club.

Kilgallon had topped Chris Hughton’s list of defensive targets this month as the Magpies’ manager uses his limited budget to recruit players capable of improving his promotion- chasing side.

But Kilgallon’s decision two weeks ago to pull out of a proposed move to St James’ Park delivered a blow to Hughton’s plans. If Sunderland can tie up a deal for the one-time England Under-21 international it will rub salt in the Newcastle boss’s wounds.

Even if the deal goes through within the next 48 hours, Kilgallon will not be eligible to play in Sunderland’s FA Cup fourth round encounter at Portsmouth on Saturday, as he is cup-tied.

Bruce will now turn his attention to the full-back positions, while Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson also remains on his radar.

The manager’s decision to trim the size of his squad last summer has been cited as one of the reasons behind Sunderland’s faltering form since their home victory over Arsenal last November.

Lee Cattermole, meanwhile, has defended Bruce’s decision to cut the size of the Sunderland squad, insisting the manager’s rebuilding programme will prove a success.

Cattermole, a £6m recruit from Wigan, said: “When you take over at a club with a big squad, and there are a lot of players who don’t want to be here, it gives off a bad vibe.

“He tried to clear all of that and wanted to have the players here who wanted to be here. You could see when the manager had his full squad available, with everyone pulling in the same direction, it was all good.

“Since then we have had a few injuries and we could do with a couple of new faces in this month. But if we don’t we can strengthen in the summer.

“It wouldn’t do us any harm to get a couple more players in. If there’s a couple out there who we can get, then great, but it’s up to the manager and the chairman, not me. But this squad is already a good squad, which is capable of competing with the best in the league.”

Cattermole is expected to return to the middle of midfield for this Saturday’s FA Cup four round trip to Portsmouth after recovering from his latest injury.

And in his absence Bruce has been forced to pair young academy graduates Jordan Henderson and David Meyler in the centre of the pitch.

That situation has been mirrored across the pitch, with Lorik Cana being asked to play at the back, while Michael Turner, Nyron Nosworthy and John Mensah have been missing.

Ideally, Bruce would like to add at least three new players this month, with a defender, midfielder and striker all in his thoughts. Saturday’s 7-2 defeat at Chelsea helped to hammer home the point.

The defeat extended Sunderland’s winless run in the Premier League to eight matches, leaving them just four points above the relegation zone having spent the majority of the season looking at the Europa League places.