Steve Bruce has admitted his priority for the January transfer window is to bolster his struggling defence. The former Wigan Athletic manager moved to sign Mathew Kilgallon from Sheffield United for around £2 million earlier this week and had also been linked with a move for Hamburg’s Ivory Coast international Guy Demel. Bruce has come out and said that a deal for Demel now looks unlikely and he is now considering an attempt to bring Habib Beye back to the north-east of England. The Senegal international joined Aston Villa from Sunderland’s rivals Newcastle United last summer but has struggled to break into Martin O’Neill’s first team at Villa Park, so Bruce is now considering a move to bolster a defence that conceded seven goals at Chelsea in their last Premier League game. Bruce said he has problems as there are now only two full backs at the Stadium of Light, with no back up for George McCartney or Phil Bardsley. “We are still looking to sign players at the back, it's the area we are short. We are down to the bare bones in that respect so that's where we are trying to reinforce and strengthen,” said the Sunderland manager. “Habib Beye is one I like and admire, but that's as a far as it has gone at the moment.” Bruce takes his side down to the south coast to face Portsmouth in the FA Cup fourth round this afternoon and his defence will be boosted by the return of Michael Turner from a ban. Lee Cattermole, Andy Reid, Keiran Richardson and Craig Gordon are all set to line-up for Sunderland as they look to progress at the expense of the troubled Fratton Park side.