The tough-tackling midfielder flew in to Holland last night, where facilities have been readied for him to undergo a medical if all goes well.

Bruce told me last night that he was hopeful of making him the Black Cats third signing of the summer, following the capture of Fraizer Campbell and Paulo Da Silva.

Cana will be 26 on Monday and Bruce is eager to make his birthday present an invitation to sample Premier League football in the 2009/10 season.

Bruce was not happy that news of Sunderland's interest in the Albanian international had become public yesterday and insists there is still work to do on the deal.

But he told the Echo: "He is captain of Marseille and captain of his country – he's right up our street. I hate talking about our club's players until things are all signed and delivered – you just have to look at what happened with the Peter Crouch deal.

"So we'll just sit down with the lad and see how things progress."

Cana, born in Kosovo and is son of former Dinamo Zagreb player Agim Cana, has attracted the interest of Everton and Hamburg this summer and has previously been monitored by Liverpool and Arsenal.

He has a reputation as a fearsome tackler and excellent passer of the ball but his potential signing does not necessarily mean that Sunderland have given up on signing Wigan's Lee Cattermole.

But the Sunderland boss is aware he cannot sit around too long waiting for his top targets to be snared.

Despite missing out on Peter Crouch, Bruce is still working from a relatively short list of targets.

He said: "I had six people in mind. I have lost one of them, so I have had to look elsewhere in that sense, but generally I haven't wavered too much on the people I was after."

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh has made no secret of his interest in
moving to the Stadium of Light, being quoted yesterday saying: "I have made the wish to have a new adventure in England, and I would like that idea to happen.

"The contact which has reached advanced stages is with Sunderland."

But the Black Cats have not agreed a fee for the Morocco international and Bruce has not been given the go ahead to open negotiations with the forward.

"There is progress being made on transfers – the work going on behind the scenes is incredible," said Bruce.

"But it is a long, drawn-out process and the situation we find ourselves in is normal.

"Yes, it would be lovely to have all my signings concluded by now, but that hasn't happened so far and it is a case of keeping a cool head because I know this club and what we are trying to do with it will be an attraction."