Transfer news: Sunderland boss Gus Poyet confirms interest in Argentinian trio

The Black Cats are on the verge of three more signings, but Poyet admits difficulty in signing English players

Gus Poyet (Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Gus Poyet has confirmed that Sunderland are trying to sign Argentinian trio Santiago Vergini, Mariano Andujar and Ignacio Scocco to aid their efforts to remain in the Premier League.

The news comes just a day after Cabral's exit to Serie A side Genoa as the Black Cats' Uruguayan manager looks to halt their alarming slump in the Premier League.

Vergini, currently playing for Estudiantes de La Plata, is most likely to sign soonest with Poyet claiming the deal was just a matter of time away from being completed.

"A deal is close for Vergini but not done yet. He’s big, so he’s good for England," he said.

"Normally I don’t comment but there have been so many comments from the other side of the Atlantic that they have put me in the position where I have to say we are interested.

“I thought we were very close yesterday but not close enough.

“He is a central defender who has been playing at the top level for a few years and he has had a chance to play with the Argentina national team. He’s big, so he’s good for England, he reads the game well and he is a good defender. Let’s hope he can adapt quickly if we get him.”

Catania goalkeeper Andujar is also on the former Brighton manager's hit list and the club have already made contact with the Italians.

"Andujar? I like him and we have made an approach to Catania to sign him," Poyet added.

'Nacho' Scocco completes the trio and the 28-year-old is thought to be keen to sample English football after spells in Greece, Argentina and Brazil with current side Internacional.

The players, while impressive captures in their own right, represent the North East side's continued difficulty to buy in the domestic market and Poyet admitted to his frustration with a situation which started with Paolo Di Canio's reign last Spring.

Poyet said: "We had a problem in the summer to buy in England. It's very difficult, I can tell you that, sometimes there are English players and they're on the bench at teams and not playing and they should be playing in another team but because we cannot pay them enough, there's no chance of them coming.

"It's not because there's too many foreigners in England, it is because there are not enough British players playing at the top teams. It works both ways and I can't blame one way or another. I wouldn't blame people if they just bought foreigners, it's the system that's wrong."