Sunderland's protracted chase of Tottenham striker Darren Bent is yet to be completed but Steve Bruce is hopeful the striker will be a Black Cats player within the next 24 hours.

The England international passed a medical in the North East yesterday but he is yet to get the go-ahead to finalise his switch to the Stadium of Light.

The saga has dragged on for most of the summer, with numerous clubs having courted the 25-year-old frontman at some stage.

Sunderland boss Bruce remains confident the former Ipswich and Charlton man will be on his way to Wearside, though, insisting the deal requires only a few minor tweaks to be pushed through.

"We have been saying now for days that we hope we can announce it, we have just got to be patient and hope to get it over the line in the next 24 hours," he told Sky Sports News.

"It's a delay between the two clubs. Obviously (Spurs chairman) Daniel Levy is in America so there are one or two little items that the two clubs are yet to agree on. We do believe that we will get there.

"There is a player here who is really genuinely frustrated, we are all frustrated. It's been eight or nine days, imagine how Darren feels. We will see if we can put it to bed in the next 24 hours.

"We thought that we had reached an agreement and he's all raring to go, so we just have to be patient and wait for the green light."