Stephen Hunt, Reading’s combative Ireland international, has emerged as a potential target for Roy Keane during next month’s transfer window, although the Sunderland manager yesterday detailed the logistical difficulties behind signing new players. After a week of travel chaos, Keane could now serve as scriptwriter for any remake of Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

Keane yesterday held a positive meeting with Peter Walker, his club’s chief executive, and has “four or five players in mind” to pursue next month. As much as £20 million will be made available for acquisitions by Niall Quinn’s Drumaville consortium, although attracting the right calibre of player to Wearside remains an issue. “I’m sure the players I’m interested in, others will be as well,” Keane said.

Hunt caused controversy with the challenge that left Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper, with a fractured skull and Steve Coppell, the Reading manager, has described his playing style as “controlled fury”, but his disciplinary record is solid. In 101 appearances for Reading, Hunt has been booked only seven times and his ten goals illustrate the drive and dynamism he brings to midfield.

Experience is a key requirement for Keane, whose team have dropped into the relegation zone; he has ruled out buying foreign players unfamiliar with British football. He refused to comment on reports linking Sunderland with Steve Sidwell, of Chelsea, beyond describing him as a “good player”, but he retains an interest in Jonny Evans, of Manchester United, and Bobo Balde, the Celtic defender.

“With the predicament we’re in, we can’t afford to bring in players from abroad and hope they pick up the Premiership straight away,” Keane said. “If we do bring in one or two players they will be good, experienced international players who we wouldn’t be worried about putting straight into this league. That’s the dilemma we are in. Whoever comes in January will have to be straight in the mix for us.”

Keane provided an insight into the hardships faced by himself and his peers when it comes to identifying new talent. “Some nights you want to put your feet up, but you know you have got to drive three or four hours to see a player,” he said. “That’s part of being a manager.

“I don’t like sitting at airports for two or three hours and then finding the flight is cancelled and the same for the train, but that’s the challenge of going to see players who you might be interested in. It is all right until that happens, so it’s been a busy week. That’s what you have to do, but I certainly wouldn’t be keen about jetting around Europe. My energies are needed here.”

Sunderland now have two European scouts in place and are actively seeking “one or two” more. Keane admitted that other clubs “are years ahead of us. Chelsea have got a ridiculous number compared to us, but it takes time. Our network in Britain and Ireland could also be a lot better. We’ve been chasing our tail a little bit.”

With a quartet of players departing for the African Cup of Nations next month, Sam Allardyce also hopes to bolster his squad at Newcastle United, but he rejected suggestions that he will be required to generate his own finances. “We have no one to sell,” he said. “With the four lads going away, we’ll be left with 15 outfield players, including Stephen Carr, Michael Owen and Damien Duff, who have all been injured.

“I have no scope for moving players on and the African Nations leaves me woefully short of numbers.”

Graeme Souness, the former Newcastle United manager, is to hold discussions next week about Ireland’s managerial vacancy. He will meet a three-man “headhunting” panel - Don Givens, Don Howe and Ray Houghton – appointed by the Football Association of Ireland to find a successor to Steve Staunton. Souness, who has also managed Liverpool, Benfica and Blackburn Rovers, has been a media pundit since leaving St James’ Park in February last year. Terry Venables is also among the candidates.