ANTHONY Stokes last night laughed off talk linking him with a move away from Sunderland this month, and claimed he was ready to prove his Premier League pedigree at the Stadium of Light.

Roy Keane stepped up his recruitment drive yesterday when he completed the £300,000 capture of French teenager Jean-Yves M'Voto from Paris St Germain, and the 19-year-old is unlikely to be the last player to arrive on Wearside this month.

The Black Cats boss is also hoping to sign Stephen Hunt and Matthew Taylor before the transfer window shuts on January 31, and with both of his leading targets playing on the left of midfield, the spotlight has fallen on the existing left-footed members of the Sunderland squad.

Ross Wallace has already been told he is surplus to requirements despite starting 17 of the Wearsiders' 22 Premier League games this season, and both Stokes and Daryl Murphy are understood to be under pressure as Keane attempts to overhaul his squad.

Stokes appeared on the right of midfield during Sunday's impressive 2-0 win over Portsmouth but, with the vast majority of his Sunderland appearances having come on the opposite flank, the 19-year-old would fall down the pecking order if Hunt, the subject of a £5m take-it-or-leave-it bid on Monday, and Taylor, currently caught in the middle of a transfer tussle between the Black Cats, Bolton and Middlesbrough, were both to arrive this month.

The Republic of Ireland international admits he has struggled for consistency since completing a £2m move from Arsenal last January, but insists leaving the Stadium of Light is the last thing on his mind despite a record of just three Premier League starts since mid-August.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere, unless the gaffer has a different outlook," said Stokes. "I haven't heard anything to that effect, though, and I certainly don't plan to leave.

"I'm really happy here. I'm enjoying playing for Sunderland and I'm planning to see out my contract.

"I'll be the first to admit that I've been inconsistent since I came here. The fans haven't seen the best of me yet, and there's still a lot more to come. I've had to be patient and I've had to work hard. But I've done that and I'm hoping people will start to see the real me now."

Stokes was one of four players to arrive at the Stadium of Light last January, and Keane is hoping to make a similar number of signings during the current transfer window.

With Jonny Evans having agreed a loan move from Manchester United 11 days ago, the Black Cats boss doubled his tally when M'Voto signed a three-and-a-half year deal on Wearside yesterday afternoon.

The 19-year-old defender, a French youth international comfortable at either left-back or centre-half, had been offered a new contract with Paris St Germain, but Sunderland secured his services after agreeing a compensation package worth around £300,000.

"Jean is one for the future," said Keane. "We've seen a lot of him and he's a strong centre-back who will be a good addition to our squad."

M'Voto is unlikely to make an immediate appearance in the first team, unlike the other players Keane is tracking this month.

Reading officials remain hopeful that Hunt will sign a new deal at the Madejski Stadium, but with the Republic of Ireland international having expressed a desire to move to the North-East, Sunderland are confident that Monday's £5m offer will finally break the Royals' resolve.

Similarly, the Black Cats remain hopeful that Taylor will opt for a move to the Stadium of Light rather than join Bolton or Boro. Harry Redknapp is ready to cash in on the versatile left-footer, who missed Sunday's defeat at the Stadium of Light through injury, and the Pompey boss is likely to demand a £4.5m fee.

Bolton will be prepared to match any Sunderland bid having recently banked £15m from the sale of Nicolas Anelka, and the outcome of this month's negotiations could hinge on whether Taylor prefers a move to the North-East or north west.

Jason Roberts could yet move from the latter to the former in the next fortnight, with the unsettled Blackburn striker again being linked with a possible move to Wearside. With Leroy Lita unlikely to leave Reading if Hunt departs, Keane has long regarded 29-year-old Roberts as a viable back-up option.

His arrival would provide further competition in attack, but Stokes, whose preferred position remains centre-forward, insists it is a case of the more the merrier when it comes to the size of Sunderland's squad.

"I think we've got a good nucleus here, but you always need fresh legs and new faces to shake things up," said the former Arsenal trainee.

"It adds to the competition in the squad and it can only be a good thing.

"The manager's working hard on that front, and another two or three players coming in would give everyone a huge lift."