AFTER confirming he is close to making his second signing of the transfer window, Sunderland manager Gus Poyet admitted the club is having to look abroad for reinforcements because they are being priced out of moves for British talent.

Marcos Alonso became Poyet’s first signing at the beginning of the month when he arrived on loan from Fiorentina, and he is set to be joined by a second foreign import in the shape of Estudiantes defender Santiago Vergini.

The Black Cats boss also revealed that Argentine goalkeeper Mariano Andujar and forward Ignacio Scocco are both options as he looks to strengthen his side that currently lies bottom of the Premier League.

Poyet has also been pursuing Brighton’s Liam Bridcutt, but the Uruguayan’s former club is playing hardball after rejecting a transfer request from the midfielder earlier this week.

The Black Cats boss had intimated in the past he is keen to bring more British players to the club after a summer influx of overseas players under previous manager Paolo Di Canio.

However, Poyet, who is also reported to be looking at Blackburn forward Jordan Rhodes, admitted securing British talent is proving difficult because of the fees being quoted or by players’ wage demands.

“We had a problem in the summer to buy in England, it's not easy,” said Poyet, who revealed Steven Fletcher will be fit for tomorrow’s trip to Fulham. “It’s very difficult, I can tell you that. Sometimes there are English players and they're on the bench at teams and not playing and they should be playing in another team, but because we cannot pay them (enough), there's no chance of them coming.

“There are teams who want too much money, there are teams who have no limit on what they pay, there are clubs with more money and big squads and it's impossible to get those players.

“I wanted to play when I was a player but it's down to the player's character, the future they have and what they want.

“It’s like in any other industry, we always say it about football but if you go to Formula One and a driver changes teams it's because they pay more, they don't move to earn less.

“It’s true. It’s like actors, they do films that are rubbish but they get paid anyway and they do magnificent films, but nobody talks about actors, it’s always about footballers. I've never seen anyone in any job get an offer and say I don't accept that, I want less!

“It's just the way football has gone and I don't know where it's going to finish. There have been moments where I thought it (wage rises) would stop but there's always a way around it. I think there are players who deserve to be playing more, but for different reasons they can't play.”

While he has been busy looking for reinforcements, Poyet has also sanctioned Cabral’s move to Genoa and the Black Cats boss admits the midfielder may not be the only player to leave the Stadium of Light this month.

Despite a promising debut against tomorrow’s opponents Fulham, Cabral struggled to make an impact and Poyet admitted his departure had been for a number of reasons.

He said: “It's difficult to say (why it didn’t work for Cabral). For me, he probably has his own opinion but there was a part of him just not working.

“I don't want to blame myself only, it was probably a combination of things like when he arrived, where he was playing, the players that we had the way I wanted to play, the players in his position, how they were doing.

“Cattermole and Ki, now it's easier to say now he's gone, they were in front of him in the position so that made it more difficult and he wasn't even on the bench in the end and when you realise that you're gone. Everything's come together for him to go to Genoa and I'm pleased.”

Meanwhile, Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup has revealed he considered recalling Ki Sung-Yeung from his loan spell on Wearside, but admitted he wouldn’t have been able to guarantee the midfielder regular starts.

Asked whether he had considered brining Ki back, Laudrup said: “Yes and no. Of course it’s a possibility when you think about the number of midfield players we have but there are a number of things you have to take into consideration.

“They are bottom of the table but they are in the semi-final and he is playing all the time. I think I wouldn’t do that as it wouldn’t help either of us taking him back. He is playing there all the time, I take him back and he plays sometimes or sits on the bench, you can imagine mentally how that would affect the player.”