Everton are stepping up their bid for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.

The Mirror says Sunderland have already tabled a bid for the England Under-21 star, who could be squeezed out of Eastlands with the arrival of more new faces this summer.

And the Goodison chief will make a move for the home-grown prospect, who can play right-back or centre-half, if he is given any encouragement by City or the player.

Onuoha would still love to carry on with his boyhood team, but Black Cats boss Steve Bruce sees him as a vital piece of his ­defensive jigsaw and is also close to landing Argentinian right-back Marcos Angeleri.