Sunderland boss opens up on signing Darron Gibson & Bryan Oviedo as well as sale of Patrick van Aanholt

So is the verdict of Sunderland boss David Moyes, who has moved quickly to add the pair to his squad ahead of the transfer deadline tomorrow night. Oviedo signs for three and a half years while Gibson is on a shorter 18 month deal.

The Scot has also reiterated that it was his decision, and not that of Ellis Short, to sell left-back Patrick van Aanholt to Crystal Palace.

Moyes says Oviedo is a quick full-back with an excellent character.

He said: "Bryan is a quick, sharp full-back, can play several positions, he’s even played wide right and wide left. A good footballer, he’ll help us get forward, overall a good left-back. I brought him in from Copenhagen as cover for Leighton Baines and he’s proven to be that, and he’s only not getting in because of how well Baines has done.

"He’s 26 which is a good age for us, he’s a really good character, a good boy, so I’m hoping he’s someone who can help us over the next few years."

On Gibson, Moyes admitted that his injury record is a concern but said that it is a low-risk deal for the club.

He said: "It’s something which we could need to think about, but we’re not paying a big price for Darren, we’ve got him on a 18 month contract, I think he’ll add a bit of quality in his passing and play for us. I'd love him to add goals for us because he’s a really good striker of the ball, he’s a good shooter, if he could get us some goals from midfield that’d be a big bonus.

"The big reason is not having Cattermole, Kirchoff, Paddy McNair, looking like that’s for the bulk of this season, I didn’t want to take a chance and find that we were scratching around in the coming weeks."

Moyes admitted he was disappointed at losing van Aanholt but insisted it was the right thing for the club.

He said: "I am disappointed because I think Patrick is a really good player, but it was my decision to sell him just in case anyone thinks it was Ellis (Short). It was not his decision, it was mine.

"There were several reasons for it. I felt it would allow me to bring in other layers because of the level of wages. The sale meant I had opened up the ceiling allowing me to get players in.

"I have known for a while what Pat’s thoughts were, but it was always going to be difficult getting a replacement. That was the thing.

"We had an idea of players we might be looking at if we could do anything in January and one was not necessarily a left-back. So when this came in, it turned it up a wee bit."