Black: Cats chasing new faces

Published May. 18, 2011 3:15 p.m. ET

foxsports

There is still one more fixture of the 2010/11 Premier League campaign to go, with Steve Bruce's troops due to meet relegated West Ham on the final day. The Black Cats are keen to look to the future, though, with little riding on Sunday's trip to Upton Park. Scouting potential signings now will help to save precious time once the window reopens, with owners the length and breadth of the country set to dust off their chequebooks. Sunderland are keen to ensure that they remain ahead of the competition and have set their staff the 'massive job' of unearthing hidden gems. Black admits that search has been underway for some time now, with the task of bringing in fresh faces a lot harder than it looks. He told the club's official website: "The process has been going on for a while now; we're looking at potential players to come in this summer. "We've got a lot of players in our view. We're watching a lot of videos, going to see a lot of games and have plenty of things to follow up. "It's a massive job. The recruitment is the most important part in terms of giving the club an opportunity to fulfil its potential. "We do get a small amount of time off over the summer but the phone is always to hand and there's always a call to be made or someone to meet."