Sunderland legend says keep Arca

Sunderland legend Charlie Hurley has spoken out today saying that Sunderland must do everything possible to keep Julio Arca at the club.

As we told you yesterday, the club hope to open negotiations with Arca and his representatives very soon.

The Argentinian international will be out of contract next summer.

Newly-promoted West Brom are rumoured to be interested in taking Arca to The Hawthorns for around £3m, and Hurley said today that the club must pull out all the stops to keep him at the Stadium of Light to help Sunderland's promotion push.

Hurley, now living in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, said "It looks like the club are going to try and get him to stay and I think that is the right thing to do.

"He's the most exciting player at the Stadium of Light. The fans at Sunderland are the best in the land and Arca is a hero to them. He is the kind of player the fans want to see.

"He has great vision, fantastic close control, he creates goals when he plays on the wing and he scores a few too.

"Sunderland would be mad to let him go because a replacement of the same quality would cost a fortune."