Sunderland manager Gus Poyet has confirmed that the club is still trying to sign Fiorentina defender Marcos Alonso on a permanent deal.
The Spanish full-back spent the second half of last season on loan at the Stadium of Light, helping the Black Cats to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
While Poyet admits that talks over a move have been 'more difficult than expected', the Uruguayan remains hopeful of landing the 23-year-old.
"It's close, but not close enough. Everything is on track," he told the Sunderland Echo. "It's just like I explained before. These deals for everything to come together, so many people need to be happy. It's not that easy.
"We're trying hard. It's been a bit more difficult than I expected, but we're not going to stop."
Alonso made 20 appearances in all competitions for Sunderland during the 2013-14 campaign.
