SUNDERLAND are edging closer to landing defender John O’Shea, believes chairman Niall Quinn.

O’Shea is part of a trio of Manchester United players who the Black Cats have registered an interest in, and it is expected that the 30-year-old will be the first to make the move in the next couple of days.

Sunderland return to training today, and while Quinn does not expect the Republic of Ireland international – who, along with Darron Gibson and Wes Brown, will be allowed to leave Old Trafford for Sunderland – to arrive in time, he is confident that a deal can be struck sooner rather than later.

"We are in there trying hard for John and will see if something can unravel. We feel it is getting closer," Quinn told the Irish Daily Mirror.

"John had good family news in the last few days with the birth of his child. So we've had to back off which is only correct.

"But the players are back in and we will see if something can unravel.

"There is interest, naturally. All you can do is make your own pitch but we would love if John chose us."

However, Quinn admitted that Sunderland’s pursuit of 25-year-old Gibson may yet prove fruitless.

"That one is a little bit further away," Quinn said. "We would certainly still like it to happen but we will have to see."

While Sunderland’s involvement in the United trio has been public knowledge since appearing in the media in the wake of Jordan Henderson’s transfer to Liverpool last month, Black Cats chief executive Steve Walton yesterday explained how the change of pace and demand from the media makes a transfer deal seem more protracted than it actually is.

Walton, who used to work for Barclays as director of football, said: "One of the real challenges of buying footballers is the fact it's so high profile.

"When you are doing these transactions, it's very often in the public domain and sometimes it's in the interests of one or more of the parties involved to let things slip in the press.

"Quite often, you do get things in the press which are there simply to create a market. Agents in particular will be looking to create some interest and it gets played out in the media far more. It seems to be an increasing trend.

"For me, I've been involved in the acquisition of players – firstly as a banker and now in the football club – for years but it really doesn't take any longer to do the transaction.

"Most of them just get in the media a lot earlier so I think there's a perception out there that it takes ages. The reality is, it doesn't take any longer than it used to do. It largely gets leaked because someone has a vested interest, even someone not involved in the transaction.

"There's a ferocious appetite for copy by the newspapers for an industry where businesses don't even register as the biggest in their respective cities."

Meanwhile, Asamoah Gyan has promised there is more to come from him as he prepares for his second season in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old Ghana international scored 11 goals, ten of them in the league, during his first campaign on Wearside, but is confident he will make an even bigger contribution this time around.

Gyan said: "I’ll definitely be a better player next season.

"As I said before I came here, it was my dream to play in the English Premier League. I feel I have established myself now, but there is more to come.

"The fans love me which is really important. When the people are behind you, you keep going and I hope to do more.

"It depends on me keeping working hard. There are some seasons where things don’t go well, but that doesn’t mean you are a bad player."

Gyan arrived at the Stadium of Light in a £13million-plus switch from French club Rennes in August last year, and having played a major role in his country’s World Cup finals adventure in South Africa, was eased into Steve Bruce’s team.

However, he believes a full pre-season and the experience he now has under his belt can only improve him this time around.

He said: "It’s the most difficult league in the world and you need to be 100 per cent fit to survive, which I wasn’t when I arrived.

"There have been plenty of good players who have come to the Premier League and not done well, so it just shows how difficult it is."

Gyan will be the senior man in a new-look strike-force with 18-year-old Connor Wickham and South Korea international Ji Dong-won having been drafted in last week.

He himself has been linked with a move away from the club this summer with Tottenham touted as a possible destination.

Indeed, his agent Fabien Piveteau has suggested the player will hold talks with Bruce on his return and that at least one offer has been received, something sources on Wearside have dismissed.