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Sunderland are on the verge of offering midfielder Bolo Zenden a contract at the Stadium of Light.

The 33-year-old left winger has been on trial with the Black Cats for the last two weeks and is set to sign a permanent deal if talks go well.

Zenden, whose former clubs include Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Barcelona, left Marseille in the summer after his contract expired, but has impressed Steve Bruce during his trial at the club.

“He has been here a week now and I have to say he has impressed us all, not least with his fitness levels considering the fact that he is not with a club at the moment,” Bruce told the Sunderland Echo.

“He also scored three times in a practice match this week and his team won 4-3 – so if ever he wanted to make a statement, that was it.”

In the wake of the departures of central midfielders Teemu Tainio and Grant Leadbitter, Bruce is reportedly interested in bolstering his options in the middle of the park.

Zenden can also play down the left-flank and the Dutchman’s versatility is thought to be important for the Black Cats boss, although a deal is unlikely to be done before the Liverpool game on Saturday.