Sunderland boss Steve Bruce admits luring top names to Wearside is proving difficult.

Bruce missed out on Portsmouth's England striker Peter Crouch and Man City's Republic of Ireland centre-back Richard Dunne in the summer, with Crouch and Dunne choosing switches to Spurs and Aston Villa instead ahead of Wearside, even though the Black Cats matched the money on offer at rival clubs.

"Even with money, it's not easy," Bruce told the Sunday Sun. "We tried to get Peter Crouch and Richard Dunne here last summer and we matched the money they were offered elsewhere, but sometimes it's not just about the money - sometimes you can't get them even if you've got the money.

"We were very, very close to getting them both but they went elsewhere.

"To be fair to the owner, he has spent a few quid.

"There's no denying that, but even money isn't the be-all and end-all sometimes."