The Black Cats looked to have been scared off the scent after seeing an initial offer turned down flat by Roberto Martinez.
And they appeared to have signalled defeat in their efforts to land the 21-year-old Teessider when they paid Marseille £5m for Albanian captain Lorik Cana late last week .

However, Bruce admitted over the weekend that he had 'not given up hope' of signing Cattermole for the second time in 12 months, having brought him to the JJB from Middlesbrough last summer.

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And the rumour mill claimed Sunderland were prepared to go as high as £10m for the player who cost only £3.5m a year ago.
Chairman Dave Whelan, though, insists the situation has not changed – and Cattermole will be staying with Wigan.

Whelan told the Evening Post: "Sunderland are wasting their time – and I've told them that. I said, 'Don't even bother bidding for him again'. Lee will be at Wigan this season.

"When I heard about the first bid from Sunderland, I said straight away to John Benson, 'He isn't going anywhere. He's staying here'.
"And Roberto agrees with me, so that's it. Finished."

The waters have been further muddied by the presence of
Liverpool and Arsenal in the background, with both Rafa Benitez and Arsene Wenger believed to be monitoring developments.

The Reds could be planning for life without either Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.

And Arsenal lack a combative figure like Cattermole in the centre of the park, and Wenger has cash to spend after the £25m sale of Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City.

However, Whelan insists the player is focused on propelling Latics towards an historic European finish, and says he cannot wait to team up with the club's new manager.

"Lee wants to stay," Whelan added. "He's happy here, he knows he's making progress here, and he wants to play under Roberto. It's out of the way as far as he's concerned."

Jason Scotland will follow in the footsteps of assistant boss Graeme Jones in wearing the Latics No.9 shirt next season.

Scotland will inherit the shirt worn by Emile Heskey and Mido last term after Latics released their squad numbers for the 2009-2010 season.
Hendry Thomas has been handed the No.6 shirt previously worn by Antoine Sibierski, while Jordi Gomez and James McCarthy will wear Nos.15 and 24 respectively.

There are no other changes from last season, with youngsters Jon Routledge (38), Joe Holt (40) and Callum McManaman (43) ready for their first campaign at first-team level.

But Scotland has refused to put himself under any undue pressure by setting himself any targets ahead of his first season in the top flight. The Trinidad and Tobago international said: "I don't ever set myself targets.

"I just try to get my head down, work hard, get down to it and do my best for the team."