SUNDERLAND manager Mick McCarthy has scuppered Leicester's hopes of a £1m buy-back deal for Matt Piper.

Foxes boss Micky Adams, who led Leicester to promotion last season, admitted this week that he wanted Piper to return to the club less than a year after his £3.5m move to the Stadium of Light.

But McCarthy, yet to see the 21-year-old winger play for Sunderland because of his recurring groin problems, has received no approach and insisted: "I want him to stay.''

Piper, signed by Peter Reid last August, has started only eight games for the Black Cats.

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

McCarthy, fronting Sunderland's push for an immediate return to the Premiership, said: "I know Matt is highly thought of at Leicester - but how about me having a look at him?

"I want him here to see if he can inspire us in some way. He's had two operations and been injured virtually all the time I've been here. If Leicester are interested, I would like to think they would ask if they could buy him.

"But I've had not had any discussions with them.''

McCarthy insists he has had "lots of interest but no firm bids'' for his players as he sets about slashing his wage bill.

And he ridiculed talk of a £1.5m approach for striker Kevin Phillips from Middlesbrough. "Is that for one leg?'' said McCarthy, who is leaving the bidding for Phillips in the hands of chairman Bob Murray.

"The chairman is working on that and I'm quite happy with that.''

Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is also seeking a move following relegation and McCarthy has lost Jurgen Macho to Chelsea in a Bosman deal, and told Thomas Myhre he can go on a free transfer.

That means 22-year-old Michael Ingham is set to act as understudy to Mart Poom.

Sorensen has complained bitterly that debt-ridden Sunderland are pricing him out of a move with a £4m valuation. McCarthy admitted: "If Sorensen is going, someone is going to get a very good keeper.

"But I've still got Poom, who is tops, and Ingham is staying. At some stage, lads like him have to get a chance.''

McCarthy remains "optimistic'' about his side's prospects next season, even though he still can't be sure of the shape of his squad because of financial constraints.

"Players need to go before I can bring anyone in and that does frustrate me,'' he confessed.

"No doubt there's some pessimism, but I would like to think there's also optimism after some of our performances at the end of the season. I can understand fans asking: "They can't sign anybody, they haven't sold anybody, what's going to happen?

"But I'm optimistic we can do well if we get some players in. I'm sure we'll have a team to be reckoned with - so that's my head on the block!''

* Sunderland will round off their pre-season programme with a trip to Kilmarnock on Saturday, August 2.

Revised itinerary (all games away): York City, Wednesday, July 16 (7.30), ticket prices - adults £10, concessions £5 (U18/OAP/student); Grimsby Town, Saturday, July 19 (3.00), prices - to be confirmed; Huddersfield Town, Wed, July 23 (7.45), prices - tbc; Hibernian, Sat, July 26 (3.00), prices - tbc; Hearts, Wed, July 30 (7.45), prices - tbc; Kilmarnock, Sat, August 2 (3.00), prices - tbc

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