Alex Neil is confident Sunderland will bring in the signings he needs before the transfer window closes - but says no deals are imminent. The Black Cats missed out on bringing Everton striker Nathan Broadhead back to Wearside earlier this week having come close to agreeing a permanent switch, with the 24-year-old opting for a loan move to fellow Championship side Wigan Athletic instead.
But Neil still needs to bring in another striker, along with several other players to reinforce his squad in key areas with potential four or five additions still on his wish list. Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is responsible for landing the club's transfer targets, and Neil believes more new recruits will arrive as the pace picks up in the final two weeks of the window.
"It's an ongoing process," said Neil this morning. "It's one of those, sometimes you think you're almost getting there [with a transfer] and suddenly it's not as close as you think.
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"Then, equally, I could walk out of this press conference and someone is on their way. That's pretty much what the transfer market is like.
"I'm confident we'll get players in before the window, but no one is on their way up at the moment. The difficulty you've got with targets is you'll have a whole list of targets for different positions and what will naturally happen is that some guys will come late in the day that you didn't think were available and you didn't consider because we didn't think we were going to get him or he's not available
"For the other teams, there will be guys that played a fundamental part last season for other teams and then this season, in the next two or three weeks, they might have to find themselves another home to play. The transfer market is a moving thing all the time.
"It's so fluid. Guys will become available that you don't expect, guys will drop off that you think you have a chance of getting, guys will stay because maybe someone in that position at that club they are at has then got injured so they can't let them out.
"There is so much goes into it. Honestly, people must think there is a list and we'll just say 'we'll take him'. There is so much background work that goes into it. Making sure they have got the right profile, temperament, mentality. Then there is affordability as well so that naturally complicates things."
Sunderland's Championship season continues tomorrow when QPR visit the Stadium of Light, and Neil's side will be looking to continue their unbeaten start after collecting four points from their first two games. Neil expects to have a near fully-fit squad to pick from, with the only absentees set to be Leon Dajaku - who missed the midweek Carabao Cup defeat at Sheffield Wednesday due to a thigh problem - and Niall Huggins, who is recovering from a long-term injury.
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