Sunderland are still haggling with Stoke City over Ricardo Fuller's asking price.
The Mirror says the deal now rests on talks over how the £4million fee is paid.
Black Cats boss Steve Bruce is set on landing the 31-year-old Jamaican, despite his money men being wary of the size of the deal because of the player's age and past knee problems.
Bruce is willing to pay the cash that Stoke chief Tony Pulis wants and is hoping for a compromise on the structure of the payments to let the move go through.
