KEANE PROMISED BIG MONEY

Keane: Seeking reinforcements

Roy Keane will be handed a £50million warchest to take Sunderland onto the next level.

The Sunderland boss consolidated the Black Cats position in the Premier League during the 2007/08 season, but is determined to see the club become an established top flight side.

In order to achieve those goals he knows that he will need substantial backing from his board, and that support would appear to be forthcoming.

Keane met with Drumaville consortium members Niall Quinn, Peter Walker and Charlie Chawke on Monday and is believed to have received the reassurances he required.

The Irishman has already spent £44million since the Black Cats booked their place among England's elite back in 2007, but will seemingly be given free reign to splash out again this summer.

"If £50million is what he needs, that's it," Chawke told the Sunderland Echo.

"He can't do it without the money and if that is the money that he needs, well then some way or other he must get it.

"It is just a matter of getting it for him and going about it in a businesslike manner.

"Roy has had a very difficult year with trying to make Premier League players out of Championship ones.

"But he has got in some good players now, and now he will get in more players to consolidate our position in the Premier League next year."