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As a player, Roy Keane relished testing himself against the best. Now it seems the same is true in management as the former Manchester United captain prepares to add Anton Ferdinand to a squad already studded with players with “hard to handle” reputations.

Keane's transfer activity this summer has attracted Djibril Cissé and El-Hadji Diouf, who have upset managers, supporters and even the police in the past, while Pascal Chimbonda's behaviour at Wigan Athletic prompted the club threat “to let him rot in the reserves”.

There are managers in the Barclays Premier League who would happily sidestep involvement with any of them, but Keane is happy to handle the trio and try to throw Ferdinand into an already combustible mix. West Ham United accepted an £8million bid for the 23-year-old central defender on Sunday and he will have plenty to ponder as he contemplates a move north. Keane and Niall Quinn, the chairman, are expected to launch a persuasive case for the Wearside club in talks with the player tomorrow, when he is due to have a medical.

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David Healy, from Fulham, Teemu Tainio and Steed Malbranque, both from Tottenham Hotspur, David Meyler, from Cork City, and Nick Colgan, from Ipswich Town, are the other new faces to arrive at the Stadium of Light as Keane continues his shopping spree. Eight new faces in total, at a cost of about £17million, has made the Irishman the busiest Premier League manager in the transfer market.

Keane has wasted no time in setting down his marker for the new men, dropping Chimbonda for the match away to Tottenham, his previous club, on Saturday after the right back failed to turn up on time for a stroll near the team hotel in London. Chimbonda cannot have been surprised.

Even a cursory glance at Keane's record while in charge at Sunderland would have shown the player that good timekeeping is more than advisable. Marton Fulop and Anthony Stokes found the team coach had departed when they turned up late with Tobias Hysen for a game away to Barnsley early in Keane's reign, and Liam Miller's repeated failure to meet the deadline for training contributed to him being put on the transfer list.

As he disciplined Miller, Keane said: “I have to look at his team-mates, players who come in regularly on time and train and the supporters who spend a lot of money up and down the country. If players can't be on time, they haven't got a future at this club. It's vital for a footballer to be on time.”

Reputations clearly mean nothing to Keane when he is dishing out punishments, or when identifying players he wants to strengthen his squad. Otherwise, Ferdinand and Keane would be a highly improbable association. If Keane dislikes tardiness in his players, picture his response if he had been the victim of Ferdinand's infamous “gran scam”.

The defender asked West Ham for time off to visit his sick grandmother on the Isle of Wight and immediately headed for South Carolina with friends to celebrate his 22nd birthday. Ferdinand, fined £50,000 for that escapade, has shown signs recently that he is maturing and spent part of his summer in Uganda helping to raise funds for a football academy. But he was back in the tabloids yesterday, pictured leaving a London casino with Michael Phelps, the United States swimmer, who won eight gold medals at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

An amicable link-up between Keane and Ferdinand appears unlikely. It would be fascinating to watch it develop, however. And Ferdinand's fondness for £64,000 watches should help him to meet Keane's timetable.

New faces who promise to light up Wearside after summer spending spree

Djibril Cissé

Roy Keane believes “you win nothing with a dressing-room full of angels”. So Cissé’s arrival on loan from Marseilles will help. The Frenchman has appeared in films, produced a hip-hop CD and has been a DJ.

David Healy

The 29-year-old is confident he is good enough to challenge for a regular place at Sunderland, even when Kenwyne Jones returns from injury to join Cissé, El-Hadji Diouf and several forwards already at the club.

El-Hadji Diouf

In common with Cissé, Diouf’s time at Liverpool was less than convincing and hit the depths when he appeared in court for spitting at a Celtic fan. The Sunderland followers have already taken to him, however.

Pascal Chimbonda

The former Tottenham Hotspur full back has a propensity for wearing gloves in mild weather, which prompted some Sunderland fans to question how he would handle life in the North East, but he performed well on his debut.

Teemu Tainio

The Finn will have no cause to borrow Chimbonda’s gloves. “I’m from Lapland, so this is warm for me,” the 28-year-old said. Keane is likely to play him in his favoured position in the heart of midfield.

Steed Malbranque

The former Lyons, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur player will offer Sunderland imagination in the midfield. His workrate is allied to an effective passing style and will complement the more flamboyant characters around him.