Sunderland on the verge of sealing Wes Brown deal

Manchester United defender Wes Brown was last night reported to be having a medical at Sunderland as manager Steve Bruce edges closer to another summer signing.

The 31-year-old was said to have travelled to Wearside for checks with a view to completing his move today.

The Black Cats had a joint bid of more than 12 million for Brown and United team-mates John O'Shea and Darron Gibson accepted last month and have been working on the proposed deals ever since.

Brown headed for the north-east with Sunderland hoping O'Shea will not be far behind as they moved towards deals to secure their seventh and eighth summer transfer targets.

Significant progress has been made with both players in recent days, but the Republic of Ireland defender's situation has been complicated by the fact that his wife has given birth in the meantime.

Brown signed a first professional contract at Old Trafford within four months of joining the club as a trainee in 1996, and made his senior debut as a substitute against Leeds in May 1998.

Injuries have played a significant part in his career, but he formed a formidable central defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand before Nemanja Vidic's arrival limited his opportunities.

Nevertheless, his time at United has been littered with winners' medals, including two in the Champions League.

The Black Cats are confident too of persuading O'Shea that his future lies at the Stadium of Light. The 30-year-old utility man has made almost 300 starts for United and has five Barclays Premier League titles to his name. But question marks remain over Gibson, who has also attracted interest from derby rivals Newcastle.