Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is in London today to secure a work permit for Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari contrary to claims by his agent.
The Black Cats have agreed a loan deal with Inter Milan but there are still major hurdles to overcome, with personal terms still to be agreed and a work permit issued. As a non-EU citizen, Muntari needs a work permit before he is allowed to join a UK club.
Before approaching the Home Office, Sunderland must first get their application endorsed by the FA but, while Muntari meets most of the criteria, he has not featured in the required minimum 75% of his country’s competitive fixtures over the last two years.
That means Sunderland will have to argue their case in front of an FA panel in order to get the endorsement they need to proceed.
Muntari does have a number of factors in his favour. He was granted a work permit in 2007 when Portsmouth signed him from Italian side Udinese, and Sunderland can also make a case for him based on his undoubted ability-he has won two successive Serie A titles and the Champions League with Inter, and helped Ghana reach the quarter-finals of last summer’s World Cup.
Bruce said: “We’re hoping we can sort out the paperwork and get Sulley a work permit.
“He is a special player and would be a fantastic asset for us. Don’t forget, two years ago Jose Mourinho paid Portsmouth £15m to take Sulley to Inter, and since then he has won titles, cups and the Champions League.
“He is just what we need.” Muntari’s lack of competitive action for Ghana is explained by his feud with former national boss Milovan Rajevac, which saw him miss the 2010 African Cup of Nations and play in only four of the Black Stars’ 2010 World Cup games.
To be granted a work permit, aside from meeting the international appearances requirement, a player must meet certain financial tests – which will be no problem for a top-level player such as Muntari – and play for a country in the top 70 of Fifa’s world rankings. World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana are currently ranked 16th by the world governing body.