VICENTE IBORRA is weighing up whether to stay in Spain or make a £7m move to Sunderland after an offer for the midfielder was accepted by Sevilla.

David Moyes, the Black Cats boss, revealed his bid has been accepted by the Andalucian club but there is competition for the midfielder’s signature.

The Sunderland manager also refused to rule out trying to tempt Joe Hart to Wearside following a serious injury to goalkeeper Vito Mannone.

Sunderland have stepped up their interest in Iborra after becoming frustrated with Rubin Kazan’s refusal to lower their £6m asking price for Yann M’Vila, who will become a free agent at the end of his contract in January.

And while M’Vila remains on the radar, having felt since the end of his loan last May that Sunderland would land him, Moyes is having to consider alternatives. Iborra, 28, would fill the defensive midfield role, but Moyes is not banking on a deal just yet.

“I’m hoping to bring more in,” said Moyes, who is also interested in Tottenham's Ryan Mason. “I’ve had talks with two or three players and clubs and we’re sort of messing along with them.

“So I’m hoping … we have made an offer for Iborra at Sevilla, which we believe has been accepted, we’re just not sure if it’s going to get through. I’m not sure it’s the case that it’s all done. I think there might be another club in for him.”

Asked if M’Vila would be on the agenda if Iborra moved to Sunderland, Moyes added: “We need more. What I know, is that what Rubin are looking for with six months to go is ridiculous. But we’ve got other things on the go, I have to tell you. We’ve got other ones on the go.”

Sunderland’s need for players has been heightened by injuries to Lee Cattermole, John O’Shea, Lamine Kone, Jan Kirchhoff and Fabio Borini. Mannone will be missing for at least three months after tearing ligaments in his elbow.

That has led to Moyes conceding he will be spending the next four days trying to bring in an extra goalkeeper, and Hart’s name has been floated because he has been told he can look for a new club by Manchester City.

Liverpool and a host of European clubs have been credited with an interest in the England No 1, but Sunderland are in most need of a new shot-stopper so Moyes would not be doing his job if he didn’t ask the question. The odds of Hart joining Sunderland this month were cut from 15/1 to 4/1 yesterday, however fanciful it still may seem.

Jordan Pickford, the England Under-21s international, is set for his third Premier League start against Southampton this afternoon and his manager is confident the local lad can produce for him.

“What I’ve seen is, I think he’s got a period where he has to grow up from being a young goalkeeper into a Premier League goalkeeper first of all,” said Moyes. “I’ve introduced a lot of young players in the first team and they have to take it on very quickly, and as a goalkeeper even more so, because you’re nearly questioning all the things you do.

“But there’s an awful lot of faith in Jordan here, I think people like him and think he’s got really good potential, so I think that from that point of view we’re going to try to keep developing him.”

Moyes added: “I will be looking to bring in a goalkeeper.” As back up? “I don’t know yet. I need to wait and see what comes available in the next few days or what’s possible,” he added.

Sunderland did land Javier Manquillo on loan from Atletico Madrid this week and he will be thrust straight into action against Southampton.

Moyes said: “Unfortunately nearly all the players who come in are thrown in right away because of the situation we’ve got. I wouldn’t want to have thrown any of these players in, I’ve never liked doing that.

“I would like to give them a bit of bedding in time if I could but because of the injuries it’s gone that way. I think Manquillo would most likely start at Southampton.

“Atletico Madrid train their players hard so I get the feeling he’s done that, he’s played some games. It’s a couple of weeks since he played his last game and he’ll not be used to the Premier League and what happens and the physicality.

“I know what it’s like when you come from Spain to England vice versa. It’ll still be shock but he’s had a little bit of Premier League experience with Liverpool. He played all season at Marseille, so we’re not talking about somebody who has got no level of first-team football. He has got it. But not as much here as maybe we’d like.”