Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has landed his second summer signing when he clinched a deal for Paraguay skipper Paulo da Silva.

The 29-year-old central defender, who has been capped more than 50 times for his country, has put pen to paper on a three-year deal to seal a move from Mexican club Toluca.

Bruce said: "I'm delighted to have signed a player of Paulo's experience.

"He is captain of his country and has played at the highest level in South America, so will bring leadership qualities to our side."

Da Silva, a right-sided defender, has experience of European football after spells with Perugia and Venezia in Italy.

He will join fellow new boy Fraizer Campbell at the Stadium of Light after he made the move from Manchester United over the weekend in a deal which could eventually rise to €7million.

Bruce has been looking for an experienced central defender all summer and the Black Cats have admitted their interest in Manchester City and Republic of Ireland defender Richard Dunne.

Progress has been slow on that front with City unwilling to do business before they have made their own signings and Chelsea jealously guarding their captain, John Terry.

Bruce has also been linked with Wigan’s Titus Bramble and more recently, Michael Dawson at Tottenham and Arsenal’s Philippe Senderos.

He is also chasing strikers with a strong interest in Portsmouth’s Peter Crouch, for whom the club have made a bid believed to be in the region of €12.5million, and Spurs’ Darren Bent.

Meanwhile, Dean Whitehead and Daryl Murphy remain the subject of speculation that they could be on their way out of Wearside despite the apparent collapse of proposed moves to Roy Keane’s Ipswich.

Whitehead, along with team-mate Nyron Nosworthy, is now being touted as a target for Stoke, while Murphy is reportedly on Hull’s shopping list, while manager Phil Brown expected to make a bid this week.