Roy Keane is hoping to reveal some new signings at the Stadium of Light in the next week.
Sunderland boss Roy Keane is hoping to unveil some new signings at the Stadium of Light in the next week.The Black Cats returned to pre-season training on Monday with two new faces in the squad following the captures of Reading's Greg Halford and defender Russell Anderson over the summer.
Southampton's Chris Baird is understood to have held talks on Wearside over the weekend and could be the next player to join Keane's side as the Sunderland manager begins his preparations for the Premier League season.
"We're making progress with one or two other people and we hope by this time next week that there might be another three or four players to add to that," Keane told Sky Sports News.
"We've agreed prices with a few players and a few clubs and with a lot of stuff it's sometimes out of your hands so it can be frustrating. But it's part of the game nowadays and you've got to pay the money and it's important to me to get the right characters and players into the club and that's what I'll be hoping to do.
"But we need to chill out and relax a bit. Everyone's panicking a little bit at this moment in time but I'm quite relaxed because I feel as a club we're doing everything we can to get the right players in. Peter [Walker, chief executive] and Niall [Quinn] and I, we're working extremely hard but it's time and I'm sure you could speak to every manager and they'll say exactly the same."
Baird has been keen to move away from St Mary's this summer and recently handed in a transfer request after receiving interest from Fulham.
The 25-year-old trained back with Southampton on Monday but Saints boss George Burley confirmed that a fee has been agreed between the two clubs, believed to be around £3million.
"Chris trained with us on Monday but he is still in talks with Sunderland," Burley told the Northern Echo.
"Nothing is finalised and nothing is agreed.
"We have agreed a fee and they are in talks but that's where we are at the moment.
"I don't want Chris to leave but at the end of the day we are not in a position to turn down Sunderland's offer."
West Brom defender Paul McShane is also reportedly wanted by Keane.
