Bolton manager Sam Allardyce has warned potential suitors for Stelios Giannakopoulos he will not consider selling unless he has first found a suitable replacement.
Liverpool appear to have emerged as a rival to Manchester City for the signature of the Greece international, with a fee of £2m mentioned.
But the speculation surrounding the midfielder (pictured, left) is a hindrance, with Allardyce forced to leave a big name on the bench for Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Everton.
City have made contact with Bolton but have fallen short of the asking price and, although negotiations go on, they could find themselves usurped by Liverpool. Allardyce is in no mood to let Stelios leave with the threadbare nature of his squad - just 16 players on duty against Newcastle tonight, should Ricardo Gardner be ruled out.
It is no wonder Allardyce is determined to see new faces arrive before letting old ones go and, with the transfer window to close next Wednesday, time is fast running out.
It is difficult not to feel a little despondent about Sunderland at the moment because no matter what sort of spin you try to put on it, three back to back defeats is difficult to accept....
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