SWISS midfielder Ricardo Cabanas has given Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy the assurance he has been waiting for by insisting: 'I'll stay on Wearside even if you go down'.

Now the Black Cats are to step up their bid to land the Grasshoppers of Zurich captain before the closure of the transfer window at the end of the month.

Sunderland do face competition in their attempts to land Cabanas, with German side Nurenberg ready to launch their own bid.

However, the 26-year-old has indicated to McCarthy that he dreams of playing in the Premiership rather than the German Bundesliga.

And, even though the Black Cats' perilous league position suggests they only have five more months in the top-flight, Cabanas has indicated to Sunderland their position does not concern him.

"One of my questions to him was what happens if we're not in the Premiership, what will his feelings be then, and he reiterated what we all think if the worst happens," said McCarthy, who is also taking a look at a number of trialists as he looks to strengthen his squad this month.

"He said that if we stuck together, and no-one wants to leave, he'd be more than happy to try to fight his way back into the Premiership.

"We'll see. There's a lot to be done on any deal. It's not easy these days. It's just contractual things. It was early in terms of talks but very amicable."

Grasshoppers had claimed earlier in the week to know nothing about their skipper's desire to move to England, but would be unable to stop a deal taking place if a release clause in his contract was met.

It is understood if Sunderland match the £500,000 buy-out clause then Cabanas will be able to join the survival fight.

McCarthy first came across the talent in his last game in charge of Ireland; when Cabanas contributed to a 2-1 Switzerland win - a defeat that cost McCarthy his job two weeks later.

"He's a very good Swiss midfielder who can do a number of jobs," said McCarthy. "He played against us three years ago and Dave Bowman (Sunderland chief scout) watched both of Ireland's games against the Swiss in the last World Cup qualifiers."

Paying the half-a-million-pound fee would seriously reduce McCarthy's spending power this month, given that he had earmarked a £1m transfer kitty to be paid out on a new striker.

However, despite still being in the hunt for a forward after being priced out of a move for Cardiff's Cameron Jerome, McCarthy is likely to sign a Switzerland international keen to make an impact at the Stadium of Light.

If Cabanas does join Sunderland, one man he will not team up with is midfielder Colin Healy.

Healy, after more than two years out through injury, has opted to return to his native Ireland when his existing contract expires next week.

Sunderland have offered the 25-year-old the opportunity to continue his rehabilitation from a horrendous leg fracture unpaid at the club, but he has decided to look elsewhere.

The 25-year-old, snapped up from Celtic after working under McCarthy with Ireland, has not played since sustaining the broken leg at Coventry in December 2003.

Sunderland youngster Dan Smith last night joined League One side Huddersfield Town on a month's loan deal.

The 19-year-old left-back made his senior debut against Cheltenham Town in the Carling Cup earlier this season.

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