Pre-season friendly/Sunderland 1 Juventus 1:Claudio Ranieri boarded the Juventus team bus predicting Sunderland "might surprise the Premiership", but Roy Keane insists his evolving squad is still at least two signings from completion.

Having identified a goalkeeper and a centre forward as his priority acquisitions, Sunderland's manager is in negotiations to sign Craig Gordon from Hearts for €13.3 million - the Scotland goalkeeper is also coveted by Aston Villa - and Mido, the Egypt striker, from Tottenham for €9 million. "I hope to have news in the next 24 to 48 hours," said Keane. "I'm trying very hard to bring in new players and Mido is one I'd love to get into the club."

A shortage of physical presence and defender-disorientating nous in the penalty area largely explains why they did not beat Ranieri's men. Although Juventus's Pavel Nedved was, by some distance, the best individual on view, Keane's lesser-known players held their own in a free-flowing contest. "Sunderland try to play, to pass well," enthused Ranieri. He must have been quietly relieved the positionally aware but lightweight Michael Chopra had no one to play off.

"Mido's a player I've been aware of for some time," said Keane, for whom one fall-back option is rumoured to be his one-time Manchester United team-mate Andy Cole. "I think we could provide Mido with a challenge and he would provide the other strikers with a challenge."

At the end of a summer in which Keane has invested €23.7 million on six players who, with the possible exception of Kieran Richardson, are hardly household names, the maverick Egyptian might just be the player to capture the crowd's imagination.

Should the Mido deal fall through, Sunderland fans would regard Cole as an unwanted alternative: the former Newcastle United striker's best days are well behind him. That said, Keane - who saw Daryl Murphy give his side an early lead before Cristiano Molinaro claimed a late equaliser - could always spring a surprise and reinvent Cole as a holding midfielder a la Dwight Yorke.

Although Marton Fulop made two stellar saves Keane is hoping to have his backline choreographed by Gordon in time for Saturday's kick-off against Tottenham here. "Marton was class and made an unbelievable save but I'm interested in any player who will improve Sunderland whether it be a goalkeeper or a striker," said Keane.

"There are question marks over me, my coaching staff, over the players," admitted Keane. "No one knows how we'll do in the Premiership." Not that he will be satisfied with merely staying up. "I'm confident we'll have a team to compete. Some of these footballers here are underrated and they're not going to be starstruck. They've had to fight hard to get where they are and my job is to get them up to the next level."

Spurs should prove a useful litmus test. "Tottenham are a good footballing side and I'm excited," said Keane. "I'm thinking: bring the Premiership on." ... Guardian Service