Danny on his way to Black Cats?

Sunderland Manager, Roy Keane seems certain to increase his offer for Stoke captain, Danny Higginbotham after he told the press that his defence was 'poor' after their 3-0 home defeat against Wigan on Saturday.

He put in a reported £2m bid for the Potters' player of the season during the summer which was swiftly rejected by Stoke. All had gone quiet, but with his comments at the weekend and the transfer window closure looming next week, it seems that he is making one last attempt and has upped the offer.

With rumours of discontent from the management at the Brit after the sale of Carl Hoefkens and the lack of any notable signings - particularly regarding last season's loan signings such as Hendrie, Diao and Griffin, fans are starting to question how much cash Peter Coates really has (or is prepared) to spend to try and push the club on past last season's efforts.

The sale of Higgy for a possible £2.5m may seem good business but if we're not using the money (together with the £1m+ for Hoefkens and Russell) and replenishing the squad with even better players then Stoke will not be holding the Championship top spot for much longer.

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