Steve Bruce has slammed transfer speculation linking Kenwyne Jones with a move away from the club.
Cats boss fumes at January transfer window
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has slammed transfer speculation linking Kenwyne Jones with a move away from the club.
The powerful striker has reportedly been the subject of interest from Premier League rivals Birmingham City, although Blues manager Alex McLeish has not confirmed this to be true.
Jones moved to the Stadium of Light in 2007 and has formed a formidable partnership with fellow striker Darren Bent this season.
The 25-year-old Trinidad and Tobago international has scored six goals in 13 Premier League starts so far this term, but Bruce denied that any offers have been made for him.
"We haven't received any bids for Kenwyne," he told the club's
official website.
"He's an important part of our team and he isn't going anywhere.
"I'm trying to build a squad that can compete here at Sunderland and I want quality players like Kenwyne Jones at the club."
The Black Cats boss also repeated his dislike for the January transfer window, labelling it 'unsettling'.
"I've already expressed my dislike of the January transfer window and my opinion on that certainly hasn't changed," he added.
"It's an unsettling time for players, for clubs and it certainly makes a manager's job all the more difficult."
Sunderland's next game is a trip to Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea, after the weekend tie against Bolton was postponed because of the weather.
