Soccer:Sunderland are today expected to complete the £2.2 million (€3.3 million) signing of Arsenal's prolific Irish teenage striker Anthony Stokes.

Stokes (18), is due on Wearside for a medical and, assuming that is passed, manager Roy Keane and Sunderland will have beaten off competition from Celtic and, in particular, Charlton Athletic.

Having signed Carlos Edwards from Luton Town and attracted Jonny Evans on loan from Manchester United, Sunderland, beaten 1-0 at Preston North End in the FA Cup on Saturday, are intent on a serious push for promotion.

On Saturday, it appeared as if a Stokes move to Charlton was done and dusted. "I have signed for Charlton until 2011," the player was quoted as saying. "I think it is the best move for my future as a player and it presents a massive opportunity to prove myself. It was a very, very tough call, but the prospect of playing in the Premiership was what drew me to Charlton.

"I spoke to Roy Keane (Sunderland) and Gordon Strachan (Celtic), and it was a privilege to have those two people interested. It's the hardest decision I have ever made."

Deal apparently done, then, the striker, who scored 16 goals in 18 appearances for Falkirk in a loan spell from Arsenal, was bound for The Valley and English Premiership football. Or so it seemed, until Keane's powers of persuasion entered the fray.

Should Stokes confirm his move to Sunderland, the deal will have echoes of one involving another Irish player 13 years ago. The phone call went like this: "Roy, it's Alex Ferguson here. Have you signed any forms (with Blackburn)?"

"No, but I shook hands on the deal and I'm due to sign the forms tomorrow."

"Why don't you come to Manchester and have a chat with me before you do anything?"

As Keane put it, in his autobiography, "I phoned (Kenny) Dalglish to tell him I'd changed my mind about joining Blackburn. He went crazy."

If Stokes heads for the Stadium of Light, Charlton manager Alan Pardew might know how Dalglish felt.

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