DAVID NGOG’S proposed switch to Sunderland is being held up by the striker’s wage demands.

Liverpool are happy to sell the Frenchman for a fee of around £4million but the Black Cats have so far been unable to agree personal terms with him.

The Wearside outfit insist they can’t match the wages Ngog would earn if he remained at Anfield next season.

And they are hoping the Reds will agree to drop the asking price for the 22-year-old to enable them to meet his demands.

Ngog was initially expected to complete his move to Sunderland as part of the deal which saw Liverpool snap up midfielder Jordan Henderson earlier this month.

However, with Ngog on holiday and keen to weigh up his options, the clubs agreed to conduct the transfers separately with Henderson signing for £16million.

Ngog, who cost Liverpool £1.4million from Paris St Germain three years ago, has scored 19 goals in 94 appearances.

But he is now surplus to requirements at Anfield with boss Kenny Dalglish keen to bring in Ipswich striker Connor Wickham to provide competition for first choice duo Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll.

Sunderland’s talks with Ngog are ongoing and despite the delay they remain hopeful a compromise will be reached to enable them to secure his services.

Meanwhile, Sylvain Marveaux has hit back at rumours he failed a medical at Liverpool before signing for Newcastle United.

The 25-year-old French winger, who was a free agent after leaving Rennes, was on the verge of signing for the Reds last week before the deal fell through.

Newcastle pounced to snap him up on a five-year contract and Dalglish is now focusing on other targets like Aston Villa’s Stewart Downing.

Marveaux said: “I was in advanced talks with Liverpool but then they started to change the details of the contract. They were causing problems and I wasn’t happy with what was happening.

“I was close to signing for them, but Newcastle came in and that was it, I signed for them instead. I did not fail my medical at Liverpool.

“I do not have a problem with Liverpool. There is no vendetta. I’m looking forward to playing them, but I’m looking forward to playing every team in the Premier League.

“When I realised I would leave Rennes at the end of the contract, I wanted to come to England and I feel this will be a very good move for me. The thing that impressed me most about Newcastle United was how hard they tried to get me. They made me feel wanted.”

Liverpool Reserves will travel to Ireland for a friendly against Bray Wanderers on Monday, July 18 (7.45pm).