Terriers threat to Mvoto deal

Jean Yves M'Voto — competition

ATHLETIC could face strong competition for the signature of Jean-Yves Mvoto from their npower League One rivals Huddersfield Town.

Lee Clark's side, smarting from last week's 3-0 play-off final defeat at the hands of Peterborough, are known admirers of the giant centre-back who is now out of contract at Sunderland, having played the majority of the 2010-11 campaign with distinction at Boundary Park.

The 22-year-old is one of the primary targets for Athletic manager Paul Dickov, who would dearly love to tie down Mvoto — winner of Trust Oldham's player of the season award — to a permanent deal at Boundary Park in order to build a defensive unit around him.

But while a contract has been offered to the player and his agent, Dickov has already admitted that the Parisian is likely to receive potentially-lucrative offers elsewhere.

One of those could well arrive from Huddersfield, a club on the hunt for defensive back-up and who are believed to have made an approach for the player in the mid-season transfer window prior to him arriving back on loan at Athletic following a stint away from the club with ankle ligament damage.

That Mvoto chose to head back to Boundary Park rather than the Terriers on that occasion, though, may yet be telling when it comes to his deciding where to commit his future.

Dickov is also awaiting answers from three other members of last season’s squad who have been offered terms to stay at Boundary Park.

Captain Reuben Hazell, Cedric Evina and Filipe Morais are the players in question.

And the Athletic manager is also on the look-out for at least one goalkeeper following the departure of Dean Brill and Josh Ollerenshaw.