Anton Ferdinand is looking to leave Sunderland in January after failing to convince his manager, Steve Bruce, that he is good enough to hold down a starting place. Bruce appears have run out of patience with Ferdinand and has left the £8m signing from West Ham on the bench since a 2-1 defeat at Birmingham City last month, even though Michael Turner was suspended for the 1-0 win over Arsenal on Saturday.

The centre-back initially impressed on Wearside last season, but Bruce has been unhappy with the defence he inherited in the summer and has openly criticised his players at times, with last season's player of the year, Danny Collins, controversially sold to Stoke City in August after failing to fit into Bruce's new-look side.

The 24-year-old would prefer a move back to London, with Fulham a possible destination, although Bruce could refuse to let him leave until the summer due to the lack of numbers in his first-team squad. He has made defensive recruitment his main priority in the new year, although the Wigan Athletic manager, Roberto Martínez, is adamant one target, the full-back Maynor Figueroa, will not be leaving the DW Stadium.