Soccer:Sunderland have confirmed their interest in midfielder Stephen Ireland but feel his lofty salary means he could be out of the club's reach.
Ireland has been one of Manchester City's most consistent performers in recent seasons, although the vast number of stars in the club's squad restricted him to just 16 league starts last term.
City have continued to strengthen this summer after bringing in Yaya Toure, David Silva and Jerome Boateng, limiting possible first-team opportunites for Ireland even further.
Sunderland assistant Eric Black admits the club are firm admirers of the 23-year-old, but feel his hefty weekly wage falls outside the Black Cats' structure.
"It would be wonderful to bring a player like Stephen Ireland to the club," explained Black.
"I think everybody is aware of how good a player he is, but we have a certain level of salary, which his probably exceeds."