Sheffield Wednesday's hopes of signing midfielder Lee Cattermole from Sunderland may be scuppered by his wage demands, The Sun of Sunday (09/06,p61) have reported.

Cattermole has two years remaining on his contract with Sunderland, but having failed to win an immediate promotion back to The Championship last season, the Wearside club may be looking to raise funds over the summer, which could make them open to a move away from The Stadium of Light for Cattermole.

The midfielder has been with Sunderland since the summer of 2009, and has made 261 appearances for the Black Cats since then.

It was current Wednesday boss Steve Bruce who signed Cattermole for Sunderland back then, having also brought the player to Wigan Athletic from Middlesbrough 12 months earlier.

The Sun on Sunday (09/06,p61) have now indicated that Bruce could be keen on signing the 31-year-old for a third time in his career, although his wage demands could prove a stumbling block in getting him to Hillsborough.

Following a difficult start to the campaign last season, the appointment of Bruce at the turn of the year saw Wednesday end the season in promising fashion, and they will now be looking to build on that by competing for a top six spot across the whole campaign next year.

The verdict

This is an interesting one.

You can see why Bruce would be interested in bringing Cattermole to Hillsborough, given the way he can operate as a dominant figure in the centre of midfield for a side, although the fact that his wages could be an issue may well be a concern for both sides.

Wednesday are under scrutiny over FFP, so this is an indicator that they will have to tread carefully in the summer, while the fact that Sunderland have a player on their books whose wages are an issue for a side in the division above them, could lead to concerns about their own finances.