MOYES ASKS SHORT TO DIG DEEP
DAVID MOYES has taken the step of speaking directly to Sunderland owner Ellis Short in a desperate bid to free up funds for January. Manager Moyes was told earlier this month there would be no money to spend and that the club was for sale. But he has since gone to the American billionaire and outlined the severity of the situation at the Stadium of Light. Indeed, the Scot now knows that he will lose three players to the Africa Cup of Nations in January and that — coupled with a spate of long-term injuries — formed the basis of his discussion with Short. Sunderland have been informed of call-ups for centre-back Lamine Kone (Ivory Coast), midfielder Didier Ndong (Gabon) and winger Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia) and could be without the trio for five matches. Moyes is also bracing himself for news of Senegal defender Papy Djilobodji earning a late call as replacement for an injured player and, if so, that would rob him of his first-choice pairing at the back. ‘If Papy does go that will give us major problems, at centre-half especially,’ said Moyes, whose side travel to Burnley today. ‘The Africa Cup of Nations hits us hard on top of the injury problems we currently have and I have spoken to Ellis about that. ‘He has said if there’s something out there that we think we have to do, we will look at it. ‘But I don’t think we will be looking at spending bundles of cash, I think if there’s anything which would fit in, we would look at it. ‘If there’s something out there we will try and get it but, obviously, we have to work in the constraints of the financial fair play rules.’ Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford became the latest long-term casualty this week after being ruled out for eight weeks with a knee injury. Moyes will not be looking to sell in January and he has already told West Ham to forget about making an approach for top goalscorer Jermain Defoe. ‘I don’t think we would look at selling,’ he said. ‘You never say never, because each player has his price.’