AFTER receiving word Jonny Evans is to complete a loan move from Manchester United next week, Sunderland manager Roy Keane has now struck a deal with Liverpool for left-back Stephen Warnock.

Keane is desperate for an eventful January transfer window and he has set the wheels in motion on a number of fronts to acquire the sort of personnel which will help the Black Cats sustain a promotion push until May.

Warnock, who turned 25 this month, is believed to have been the subject of a substantial seven-figure bid from Sunderland, somewhere in the region of £1.5m, which has been accepted at Anfield.

Now the former England under-21 international, with only one Premiership appearance under his belt this season, must decide whether a move to Wearside and the Championship is right for him.

Targeting Warnock, who has represented Liverpool's first team 65 times, is another sign that Keane means business in next month's transfer window.

He has persuaded centre-back Evans to agree to a loan move from United until the end of the season and hopes to have right-back Phil Bardsley join the teenager in a similar switch from Sir Alex Ferguson's squad.

And, as revealed in Northern Echo SPORT on Wednesday, Sunderland are also hot in pursuit of Luton Town winger Carlos Edwards.

The two clubs are thought to have agreed on a fee but Edwards, a right-midfielder and an international team-mate of Dwight Yorke, is considering his options, with at least two other clubs monitoring his situation.

Developments on the Warnock front arrived on the day Keane revealed he shuts out managerial life at Sunderland by going to the cinema - yet it was a trip to the movies that helped secure the services of promising defender Evans. He will be at the Stadium of Light this afternoon for the Championship visit of second-placed Preston after verbally agreeing to join the Black Cats' promotion push for the rest of the campaign.

Bardsley, meanwhile, was given a tour of the club's facilities on Wednesday and, after a temporary switch to Rangers ended prematurely after a fall out with French boss Paul Le Guen, he is mulling over the offer.

Belfast-born Evans, a commanding presence at every level he has played at, has already informed Keane he will sign in the hope it would aid his development.

Keane, knowing the teenager started the campaign in Belgium on loan with Antwerp, is certain that will be the case.

"Jonny will start training next week, probably on Tuesday," said the former United captain. "He is a top young player, he is hungry, a tough lad, from a good family and he has a good background. He has a great chance of having a great career at United and we want him to help him along the way.

"Sunderland is a great club to come to on loan. It's a big stadium and I hope he will come and enjoy it. He has been enthusiastic from day one. I have touched base with his agent and I bumped into him three or four months ago at the pictures."

The acquisition of both United defenders will, Keane hopes, be the start of a busy January and he wants to add at least two players to his squad on long-term deals.

As well as Warnock and Edwards, a new striker is high on his list of targets but Giuseppe Rossi, whose loan spell at Newcastle ends today, will not be a third arrival from Old Trafford.

"I'm hoping to bring in players but there is no excitement towards the transfer window," said Keane. "You just hope the work on the transfer front pays off. The two or three lads, other than the United two, are worth being excited about but it is hard work and nothing is guaranteed."

Evans turns 19 on Wednesday and already has three caps for Northern Ireland, all of which came this season.

His arrival would pave the way for Neill Collins to conclude a permanent transfer to Wolves after a successful loan spell at Molineux.

Former Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy has discussed the possibility of recruiting the young Scot beyond his loan, which comes to an end after this weekend's play.

But, although although things could change in the coming days, Collins is the only player out on loan who is on the verge of sealing a full-time move.

Tommy Miller, hoping to play for Preston at Sunderland today, Jon Stead, Andy Welsh, Kevin Smith, Clive Clarke, William Mocquet and Arnau Riera are all expected back to the Academy of Light for training next week.

There has been contact from Norwich City regarding striker Chris Brown but Keane would only be willing to do business if he believes he has a ready-made replacement lined up.

"I'm fairly optimistic about players coming in," said Keane, knowing Liam Lawrence's loan arrangement at Stoke City should turn into a three-and-a-half-year deal. "The lads I'm hoping to bring in will add to the strength of the team."