Sunderland fail in Cattermole bid

Wigan have turned down a bid from Sunderland for England Under-21 international Lee Cattermole.

Ex-Latics boss now Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is keen to add the combative midfielder to his squad.

But new Wigan manager Roberto Martinez told the club's official website: "Lee is not for sale, end of story.

"He is a fantastic player, a leader on and off the field, and he is central to our plans going forwards. We are not interested in selling him."

Cattermole began his career at Middlesbrough in 2005 before Bruce brought him to the JJB Stadium for £3.5m in July last year.

Bruce, backed by financial clout of American millionaire Ellis Short, could be tempted to increase his offer for the 21-year-old, who played 33 Premier League matches last season.

606: DEBATE

" I can't see him leaving, especially for a team like Sunderland who are definitely not a step up from Wigan "

But Martinez is confident Cattermole will remain a Wigan player.

"It is not usually our style to discuss incoming or outgoing transfers until they are completed, but we have made an exception in this case because I feel so strongly about wanting to keep hold of Lee, along with all my best players," said Martinez.

"He is currently on a well-earned break after his efforts with the under-21s in the summer and will be reporting back to training next week. I am looking forward to working with him. He is one of many talented players we have here and I intend to keep hold of all of our best players.

"Let's forget about this now and move on."

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
Sunderland
Football on the BBC
Wigan fans' views on 606
BBC Manchester sport
Wigan weather
BBC Sport Premier League
Wigan Athletic
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites