Sunderland manager Roy Keane will attempt to fulfil the dreams of the club's fans when he sets about his summer recruitment drive. The Irishman has already invested around £44million of the Drumaville consortium's cash since taking over in August 2006, winning the Coca-Cola Championship title and taking the club to the verge of safety in the Barclays Premier League. Saturday's last-gasp victory over West Ham handed the Black Cats back-to-back league victories for the first time since December 2001, and a repeat at struggling Fulham this weekend would all but end their fears of relegation.
For Keane, who always insisted his side were not in the top flight simply to make up the numbers, survival would be a satisfactory outcome considering the injuries which have robbed him of key players throughout a difficult campaign. However, his ultimate ambitions for the club are far loftier, and to that end he has his scouting team scouring the globe for the reinforcements to take them to the next level.
On-loan Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has already indicated he would be more than willing to listen to what Sunderland have to say should Sir Alex Ferguson decide his future lies away from Old Trafford. He is just the calibre of player which Keane wants to attract to the Stadium of Light, although he is only too aware how his side fares during the remaining weeks of the season will have a major impact on what he is able to do in the summer transfer market.
"We want to try to bring in top, top players to the football club," said Keane. "I know the fans over the last number of years have been left disappointed in terms of getting their hopes up but that's my job to try to fulfil their dreams.
"To be fair, the priority for us is just to try to make sure we are in the Premier League next year. "We are having players watched at this moment in time, we are watching players all the time. "Part of my job is to try to win the next game, but obviously, I have scouts who do their homework - that's why you employ these people, to share the load. "We have scouts all over Europe watching certain players and I will let them get on with their job."
Sunderland eased themselves seven points clear of the relegation zone with successive wins over Aston Villa - their first away from Wearside this season - and the Hammers, and a continuation of the momentum they have established at Craven Cottage could further dent Fulham's own survival hopes.
It has been a testing campaign for Keane, who freely acknowledges he is learning his trade by the week. However, while a man who has developed a reputation for straight-talking over the years is clearly enjoying the challenge his job brings, he admits there are parts of it he could do without.
Keane said: "I am enjoying the challenge, yes. I am enjoying the challenge of being manager of Sunderland and making sure we are in the Premier League next year and can build for the next few years. "That's the challenge. Do I enjoy all aspects of the job? Probably no, but that's tough."