The Sunderland manager made it clear in his first press conference of pre-season yesterday that he hoped signings were imminent.

A couple in by the weekend he suggested. Ideally half-a-dozen by the end of next week, he mused.

But he made it clear that everything depended on whether chairman Niall Quinn and chief executive Peter Walker could make the breakthroughs' they had been working so hard to secure.

"We've made some big bids for some good players," he said.

"Bids get turned down but then you try to reach agreement on figures and that's the stage we're at now.

"Negotiations can drag on, I think everyone has found that this summer.

"But I know that Niall and Peter are working extremely hard to get us to the position where we're talking to the players themselves after bids are agreed.

"You prefer to have new signings in for the beginning of pre-season but I'm not too worried about that at this stage because we have plenty of pre-season games to work on.

"And hopefully we might have one or two in over the weekend."

Whether that includes anyone from a quartet of Spurs stars believed to be interesting Sunderland remains to be seen.

Reports have strongly linked Steed Malbranque, Teemu Tainio, Younes Kaboul and Pascal Chimbonda with imminent moves to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland pursued the signing of Spurs striker Darren Bent strongly over the summer but although that deal has faltered, the Wearsiders have been alerted to others who might be allowed to leave White Hart Lane.

And Malbranque's agent said last weekend that the Sunderland had inquired about his player's position.

Malbranque is the best known and most eye-catching of the Tottenham players linked.

The French international is an exciting attacking player who has proved his worth both to Tottenham and to Fulham.

Chimbonda would be attractive because of his position to play in either full-back position. Tainio is a very useful defensive midfielder.

And while Younes Kaboul failed to sparkle last season after a £7m move from Auxerre, the 22-year-old is someone who could improve after a season of adjustment to life in the Premier League.