Sunderland manager David Moyes, has defended the duo signing of his former players Darron Gibson and Bryan Oviedo ahead of their clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

Know what I want

The Black Cats have and are in desperate need of recruits after a significant number of injuries, and Moyes managed to complete another piece of business on Monday with the signing of Gibson and Oviedo.

Though they are good players, the signings have led to a backlash from fans, with the two becoming the third and fourth former Everton players been signed this season with five in the squad overall.

Sunderland will host Mauricio Pochettino's men on Tuesday with Oviedo, Gibson and Joleon Lescott possibly making their debuts, and Moyes defended his transfer decisions in his pre-match press conference.

"The advantage of signing players I've worked with before," Moyes told Sky Sports. "Is that I know what I'm getting."

"I know what they'll do and their characters more than anything," he stated. "They trust me and they know the way I manage and the way I work."

"They will know what to expect," the Scotsman stressed. "Sometimes for them, that makes the move easier. I hope it shows."

"When you sign players you never know if it will make a difference," the 53-year-old admitted. "But I believe in time they will make a difference because of their type and their attitude."

Moyes added: "I do believe we will be stronger on February 1 than we were on January 1."

Going for those available

Sunderland have been linked with a number of players in their desperate search for a forward, with a reported bid for Leonardo Ulloa been rejected by Leicester City much to the striker's dismay.

When asked about his transfer dealings, Moyes stated that there have been other bids but the signings so far are the only ones to accept a move to Wearside.

"I've tried for one or two others," he said. "So to say I'm only going for players I know is not true."

"It's actually the players who have been available and have said, 'Yeah, I'll have a go at that'," the coach stressed. "We tried for the boy at Norwich (Robbie Brady) and he said no."

"There were others as well," Moyes concluded. "But people have said no."

Sunderland AFC will take on Tottenham at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday, January 31 with kick-off at 7:45pm GMT.

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About the author
Danial  Kennedy
Award-winning sports journalism graduate. Currently studying a PR Masters at the University of Sunderland. Writing for VAVEL since August 2014. Twitter - @ddkjournalism.