The Black Cats are remaining tight-lipped over the transfer but the Echo understands boss Roy Keane is close to landing one of his long-term targets in a deal worth around £1.5million.

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Keane tried to sign the right-back on loan from Manchester United a year ago, but lost out to Aston Villa, who were able to offer him top flight football.

The 22-year-old from Salford played 16 Championship games during a three-month loan with Sheffield United this season.

Blades boss Bryan Robson was keen on an extended deal, but – just as Sunderland found last season – the player has opted for Premier League football.

Keane signed right-back Greg Halford from Reading in the summer, but the former Colchester man has struggled badly and the Black Cats have since tried midfielder Dean Whitehead and centre-back Paul McShane in the role.

Salford-born United fan Bardsley started a three-year scholarship at Old Trafford in July, 2001, and initially played at centre-back for the under-17s and FA Youth Cup team in his first season.

But his first-team debut was as right-back in United's December 2003 Carling Cup clash with West Brom. The Red Devils lost 2-0 but Sir Alex Ferguson described Bardsley as "outstanding".

Bardsley went on loan to United's feeder club Royal Antwerp in the second half of the 2003-04 season and he didn't make a first-team appaearance the following campaign before an injury to skipper Gary Neville paved the way for a run of Premier League and Champions League outings in 2005-06, a campaign he ended on loan with Burnley before a troubled loan at Rangers at the start of last season, which saw the Mancunian fall out with boss Paul Le Guen.

Keane insisted last week that he remains on the trail of most of his prime transfer targets.

But he has only nine days left to add to new faces Jonny Evans (loan from Man Utd) and Jean-Yves M'voto (signed from PSG).