Sunderland boss Steve Bruce says Birmingham City and Stoke do not have the spending power to sign Kenwyne Jones.

Bruce, who has taken Jones, 25, and the rest of his squad to Portugal ahead of Saturday's clash at Chelsea, has been in talks with Schalke frontman Kevin Kuranyi but is keen to hold on to Jones, too.

Bruce said: "Everybody's got their price, whether you're Steven Gerrard or Cristiano Ronaldo, and if something out there blows your brains.

"But with no disrespect to Stoke or Birmingham, can they afford him? I very much doubt it. It's not just the fee but wages, all the rest of it. I just can't see it. On his day, you can look at Kenwyne and say he's worth £40m, then on another day you'll think, 'Come on'. That's Kenwyne.

"He tests your skills as a manager. He's a big, genuine, nice lad. It's always the challenge - to get the best out of him."