PETER REID is poised to alleviate Sunderland's financial problems by lodging a £1m bid for Matt Piper.

Although deep-in-debt Leeds will receive only £3m from Harry Kewell's contentious move to Liverpool - £4m less than anticipated - manager Reid is to be given the go-ahead to strengthen his Elland Road squad.

His priorities are to find a replacement for Aussie forward Kewell and an orthodox wide-right man.

And former Leicester winger Piper, one of Reid's final signings as Sunderland boss early last season in a £3.5m deal, meets the latter requirement.

Reid has confided he feels Piper's Sunderland career "hasn't got off the ground'' because of recurrent groin injuries which have necessitated surgery and restricted him to only eight starts for the Black Cats.

His last appearance was under Reid's successor Howard Wilkinson at the beginning of March, a fortnight before Mick McCarthy's first game in charge.

McCarthy, who last month issued a hands-off warning to Micky Adams when the Leicester boss admitted an interest in re-signing Piper, insists he wants the 21-year-old to stay at the Stadium of Light.

But with relegated Sunderland over £26m in the red and McCarthy under pressure to reduce his wage bill still further following the departures of only a handful of senior players, he would be forced to sell if Reid tabled an offer for Piper.

The idea of Reid taking advantage of Sunderland's parlous pecuniary position will stick in the craw of some fans, who believe his legacy was to saddle the club with expensive flops like record £8.2m buy Tore Andre Flo and £3.6m Lilian Laslandes.

Sunderland this week felt constrained to cut their losses on Frenchman Laslandes and terminate his contract by mutual consent to facilitate his departure to Nice.

Reid has identified Crystal Palace's former Arsenal winger Julian Gray as at least a stopgap for Kewell's old role.

The left-sided Gray, 23, is training with Leeds in a bid to prove his worth and clinch a Bosman-style move from Selhurst Park.

As he is under 24, however, Palace would be entitled to compensation - possibly around £250,000 - for their part in his development.

Meanwhile, Sunderland utility man Darren Williams is aiming to be back in action for the start of the Nationwide League season.

Williams' Wearside career was revived by McCarthy, who deployed him at right-back in the run-in to last term.

But the 26-year-old Teessider was carried off in the final game of the season with damaged ankle ligaments and was forced to go into plaster for a month.

Williams now has an outside chance of being fit to face his former club, York City, in a pre-season friendly at Bootham Crescent next Wednesday.

He said: "I did my first pain-free run this week and the injury feels OK. The manager has told me to take my time, but I want to be back playing as soon as possible.

"My aim is to be in the side when we go to Nottingham Forest on the first day of the season.

"I know I'll have to compete with Stephen Wright if I want to play at right-back.

"I just have to impress the manager in pre-season.''

Read more about Sunderland here.