SUNDERLAND have lined up Rotherham United's Darren Byfield in a straight swap deal for Michael Proctor.

Local product Proctor has struggled to make an impact at the Stadium of Light and was withdrawn from the reserves team for the game with Leeds on Wednesday night as he held talks with his possible new employers.

Manager Mick McCarthy has been on the look out for a new forward for some time and he lost out to Blackburn in the race for highly-rated Huddersfield forward Jon Stead on Monday.

But now McCarthy is on the verge of bringing in Byfield, with Proctor heading down the A1 as part of the deal.

The Sunderland boss would not reveal the identity of the player set to join the Black Cats yesterday, although he did confirm Proctor's likely departure.

"Michael could be on his way in a player-exchange," he said. "Proctor's contract is up at the end of the season, he has been here a long, long while and it has not happened for him this year.

"He has gone down in the pecking order and I'm just trying to change things around and freshen things up here.

"He would like to be sorted for the next couple of years - this season and another two. I think he deserves that and if he can go now rather than the end of the season then better still."

Byfield has scored eight goals in 31 games for Rotherham this season and boasts Aston Villa as one of his six clubs.

His goalscoring record for The Millers stands at nearly one every three games, having scored 35 in 98 appearances for the club.

The 27-year-old, who is 5ft 11in, was wanted by Derby earlier this week but Rotherham boss Ronnie Moore would not sell to a rival club battling against relegation.

Proctor's departure will disappoint Hartlepool United boss Neale Cooper, who is thought to have been keen to take the Wearsider to Victoria Park.

McCarthy, whose side are at Watford tomorrow, admitted he understands why Huddersfield forward Stead turned down the chance of a move to Sunderland.

The Terriers hot-shot agreed to a £1m move to Blackburn despite indicating he was likely to move to the Stadium of Light.

However, McCarthy said: "It was frustrating and disappointing because I think he will be a top player.

"I knew full well that if a Premier League club came in we would struggle to get him. That's considering all the rhetoric was that he was going to come to us because it was a good career move, even if we weren't in the Premier League.

"He went to the Chelsea game at Blackburn and I don't doubt that he was seduced by the Premiership and I don't blame him.

"Whether he will be a success, who knows? But I think he will be a terrific player."

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