Having done much to secure their status in the Barclays Premier League, Sunderland will soon turn their attention to safeguarding their future. Roy Keane has only one more full season of his contract to serve and, while the manager has stated repeatedly his intention to remain at the Stadium of Light, the club's ownership will not confuse his desire with romanticism.

Sunderland are a rarity in having two men immersed in football in positions of greatest influence. When Keane sits down this summer with Niall Quinn, the chairman, to discuss how best to take the club forward, salaries and bonuses will not be an issue; instead, as it has always done, the debate will centre on ambition and resources in the transfer market.

The conversation will not necessarily be easy, although their partnership has already proved dynamic. Keane is a driven man and when he speaks of Sunderland's “potential”, it is not whimsy, but a target. Quinn's Drumaville Consortium raised £40million to fund new signings this season and treading water will not be acceptable to Keane. Marquee names will be expected.

The priority is to ensure that relegation is avoided and Keane has reiterated that “people shouldn't worry” about his contract, pointing out that “three or four times [as a player] I went into my last year”. But the impact he has made on Wearside and his efforts at rebuilding a club in the doldrums have not passed unnoticed.

“If we can stabilise, then people keep asking me, 'Do I want to carry the challenge forward?'” Keane said recently. “But I have to ask the people who own the club the same question. Are we prepared to go to the next bar? It works both ways. [But] if I was ever to leave Sunderland, then where would I go? There's not many bigger challenges. I've been a manager two minutes and I'm lucky to be at such a big club.”

Quinn is confident that their talks will prove fruitful. “The summer will be the time for Roy to set out his requirements,” he said. “I don't think for one minute that personal finances will come into it. I'm sure he'll want to talk about the structure and the ambition.

“When I first spoke to Roy about coming to the club, the financial discussion took 60 seconds. The main thrust of Roy's conversation and preparation for coming to the club was all about ambition and structure. When we do sit down, it will be a case of discussing where we're going and what the next three years and beyond hold for us.”

A home crowd well in excess of 45,000 watched Sunderland's victory over West Ham United on Saturday and there is recognition at the club that they are at a crucial stage of their development. “It is nothing less than mind-boggling that a club that has won one proper trophy since the War can still attract such support despite spending the season in the lower half of the table,” Quinn said.

“Some people think our support is unnatural, I simply know it as incredible and that is why I came back. We are taking nothing for granted because there are a lot of points still to play for and we have a lot of work to do to maintain a place in the Premier League.

“If we can do that, we know what a lift it will give everyone and that will help us take the club forward. It would be a huge plus for the club if we were to stay in this league. Year one, job done, we're ready to go on now and attract the kind of player in the future that can make a difference. People will look at us in a different light and think, 'That club have stayed up now - they're on the way up'. They will see that steps have been taken and that it's solid.”