Sunderland's moneymen will back manager Roy Keane to the hilt in the transfer market, says chairman Niall Quinn.

Quinn told the Hartlepool Mail: "The Drumaville people have put in a sizeable amount of money, in excess of what they paid for the club.

"And there's more to come.

"The guys have been first class from the moment they came in. It is on a request basis and they've said yes every single time. That's fantastic.

"You can't ask for more than that. Roy has been very appreciative and I have too.

"We've a situation where the guys like what's happening and they like that common sense is attached, because we've tried to be as sensible as we can."

Sunderland's current squad knows that New Year arrivals could put their places under jeopardy and also know that climbing the Premier League would have a significant impact on their earning power.