Keane's £23m move for Spurs quartet

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has agreed a £23million deal to take four Tottenham players to the Stadium of Light.

Spurs boss Juande Ramos will off-load Pascal Chimbonda, Steed Malbranque, Younes Kaboul and Teemu Tainio, and Sunderland now need to agree personal terms with the players.

Chimbonda, who has been at White Hart Lane for two years since his move from Wigan, has attracted interest from Newcastle.

Keane is a long-term admirer of former Fulham favourite Malbranque, who is surplus to requirement under Ramos despite having played a majority of games under the Spanish coach last season.

Tainio and Kaboul, who were together at Auxerre, have been fringe players for the last two seasons and were unlikely to feature in the new squad.