Bruce defends striker decision

Steve Bruce says Sunderland were right to refuse to pay an "astronomical" fee to replace striker Darren Bent in January.

Bent's shock £24m switch to Aston Villa left the Black Cats with money in their pockets, but they took the decision not to spend in haste in a notoriously difficult market.
However, the gamble backfired to an extent when Danny Welbeck was ruled out by injury and Fraizer Campbell's hopes of making a comeback were dashed by a recurrence of his problems.
"At the time, we couldn't really bring in a striker who would have made a difference," Bruce told the club's official website.
"We were quoted astronomical money, stupid things. In the end, we decided to keep a bit back for the summer. Of course, I didn't know we were going to collapse like we did, but I still think it was the right decision."
Bruce has made the recruitment of as many as three strikers his main priority for this summer, and he has inevitably already been linked with a series of potential targets.
It is understood Sunderland's main aim is to find a man with physical presence as a foil for Asamoah Gyan, who spent much of the time after Bent's departure playing as a lone striker.
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