CONNOR Wickham is set to become a Sunderland player within the next 24 hours, for a fee that could rise to over �12million.

CONNOR Wickham is set to become a Sunderland player within the next 24 hours, for a fee that could rise to over �12million.

The Ipswich Town teenager travelled up to the North-East last night, to discuss personal terms. He is set to have a medical today.

Portman Road officials remained tight-lipped yesterday, after sources in Sunderland had suggested that Town had accepted a bid of �13million from the Black Cats for their star striker, and that talks were ongoing.

The fee will probably be undisclosed, although it is understood that Town will receive a down payment of �9m, with the final figure rising to more than �12m based on appearances.

That will double Town’s current record transfer fee received for a player, following Kieron Dyer’s �6m switch to Newcastle United in the summer of 1999, and keeper Richard Wright’s move to Arsenal for the same fee two years later.

The mere fact that Town had accepted a bid for Wickham, after months of speculation, proved that the Suffolk club were finally prepared to let their biggest asset go this summer.

It was initially thought that Wickham and his agent might decide to hold fire and see if any of the Premier League’s high-fliers came in with a rival bid, with Liverpool thought to be leading the chasing pack.

But Sunderland boss Steve Bruce’s attempt to steal a march on the bigger guns, with this audacious offer, appears to have paid off.

Town boss Paul Jewell therefore looks set to have extra funds to bolster his squad.