ENGLAND, Oct 13 - SUNDERLAND have been revealed as one of the clubs interested in signing Sporting Lisbon's forward Kwame Ayew.

The Ghanaian international has been seeking a new stage for some time, after being told that he did not figure in Augustus Inacio's plans in the summer, but Portuguese sources insist that he is now looking to England again. Rangers and Fenerbahce were both keen to sign Ayew during the close season, according to the player himself, and he has also been linked with a move to Bradford and the Bundesliga recently.

However, fresh claims are suggesting that Peter Reid is determined to bring the player to Wearside to assess his form and fitness during a trial period.

The 26-year-old has been suffering with a knee injury, and he needs to prove he is back in shape before being put through his paces by the Stadium of Light coaching staff. The Black Cats have reportedly notified Sporting of their interest in the player but another, as yet un-named, English club is also waiting in the wings to have a look at Ayew.

There also exists the possibility of the attacker heading for Germany, but he is believed to prefer a crack at The Premiership.

"If I do leave Sporting," he said some time ago. "I do so with dignity