SUNDERLAND are still pursuing a number of options before the transfer window closes on Tuesday, but chairman Niall Quinn has indicated there will not be any panic buying on deadline day.

Quinn has been one of the more active movers on previous deadline days, and this time around negotiations for certain targets are expected to carry on until next week.

Manager Steve Bruce will not be given cash for the sake of it in his attempts to strengthen a relatively small Sunderland squad, and he would prefer to move on at least four members of his playing staff.

It will only be if the likes of Anton Ferdinand, Phil Bardsley, Teemu Tainio and George McCartney leave that Sunderland will find themselves working on signing players at the start of next week.

Bruce is still hoping to land a striker, with Rennes’ £12mrated Asamoah Gyan his first choice to replace Kenwyne Jones, but beyond that further deals hinge on sales.

In the last couple of years Quinn has struck late, late deals for Michael Turner, Benjani, Alan Hutton, Tal Ben-Haim, Calum Davenport and even McCartney.

This time around, however, the Black Cast chief does not expect similar activity.

“There may be room for one more in and there have been enquiries for one or two of our players too,” said Quinn.

“But I will not panic in the last week of the window. I’ll never lead the club into choppy waters financially and if there’s something right for us we’ll do it.

“Steve Bruce knows that and if something crops up we’ll do it, but if people are thinking last minute madness is going to affect us, that’s not going to happen.”

Bruce will hold his prematch press conference this afternoon at the club’s Academy of Light, when he is likely to deliver a progress report on any transfer activity.

There is, though, unlikely to be any new faces before Sunday’s visit of Manchester City to the Stadium of Light.

One of Bruce’s summer signings, Nedum Onuoha, is ineligible to play against the club he is contracted to under the terms of his loan agreement.

But the centre-back, who has started his Sunderland career as a full-back, is not concerned that in his absence he will lose his place for the long term.

“It’s always going to be the case that people are always trying to get your place if you’re in the team,” he said.

“I’ve been on the other side of that. I’m looking forward to it, to be honest, because I’ve never been in that situation before, so it should be interesting to see how it goes.”

Onuoha is two appearances into his loan on Wearside, having not needed much persuading to head to the region from City, where he feared he would be in the reserves after another summer of heavy spending.

Having spoken to former Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson, born and brought up in Easington, before his move to the North-East, the 23-yearold knows he has made the right choice.

“I didn’t speak to him directly about Sunderland, but he does speak very highly of this area,” said Onuoha, as Johnson is likely to start on Sunday after his outstanding display against Liverpool on Monday.

“He also speaks very highly of Manchester now as well, mind. He always used to say it was a good place to play and that did help me to come up here."