Fulop completes Manchester City loan

Sunderland have confirmed that goalkeeper Marton Fulop has joined Manchester City on an emergency loan deal.

The 26-year-old Hungary international travelled to Manchester this morning as the two clubs thrashed out an agreement, and looks certain to play in the club's final three games of the season.

However, the deal was only finalised this afternoon after City's failed bid to recall Joe Hart from his loan spell at Birmingham.

A statement issued on Sunderland's official website, www.safc.com, said: "Contrary to reports elsewhere, the deal was not completed until this afternoon when final agreement was reached between the parties."

Fulop had slipped to number three in the pecking order behind Craig Gordon and Trevor Carson at the Stadium of Light after expressing his desire for first-team football.

He has been drafted in by Roberto Mancini after Shay Given dislocated his shoulder in the goalless draw against Arsenal at the weekend.

With Stuart Taylor already on the casualty list, it left only Gunnar Nielsen, the inexperienced Faroe Islands stopper who replaced Given on Saturday, available.

It is understood the Premier League board felt that allowing Hart, chosen as the goalkeeper in the Professional Footballers Association's team of the year and a likely member of England's World Cup squad, would be too much of an advantage to City in their battle for fourth place and qualification for the Champions League.

City's main rivals for fourth spot, Tottenham and Aston Villa, have both been keeping a watchful eye on the situation.

City still have to face Villa and Spurs, before a trip to West Ham on the last day of the season.

Given, whose arrival at Eastlands in January 2009 led to Hart losing his place, will be out for around three to four months.