Roy Keane appears to have got one half of his desired quartet from Tottenham after it was reported today that Pascal Chimbonda and Teemu Tainio are due back in Sunderland this afternoon to undergo medicals.

The Spurs players were among four Keane was seeking to add to his squad in a €29million deal.

Steed Malbranque and Younes Kaboul also spoke with Keane in the north-east on Saturday. The latter may be hijacked by Aston Villa, despite claiming to be very impressed by the Sunderland manager, while Frenchman Malbranque is believed to be nearing an agreement with Black Cats.

Full-back Chimbonda and the midfielder Tainio also revealed how impressed they were with Keane, and now chairman Niall Quinn and chief executive Peter Walker will look to push through deals ahead of the squad's return from pre-season training camp in Portugal tomorrow.

"We have got an agreement with Spurs and a few of the players", Keane told The Journaltoday ."We have virtually agreed personal terms with two or three of them, if not four. There are just a few loose ends to be tied up.

"I have been in the game long enough to know that these things can drag out a little bit, but in defence of (chief executive) Peter Walker and (chairman) Niall Quinn, from our point of view, it's been full steam ahead.

"I have spoken to Peter and progress has been made, but (with) the amount of players we are trying to sign from one club, there are going to be stumbling blocks."