Sunderland boss Roy Keane will bid for Manchester United defender Wes Brown next month.
Despite expecting to lose four players to the African Cup of Nations, Sam Allardyce has been encouraged to concentrate on signing "development" players rather than first-teamers in January. That could play into the hands of Keane, whose hefty transfer budget could persuade the Red Devils to sacrifice one of their longest-serving players sooner than they might prefer.