The Sunderland boss signalled earlier this year that it would take £50m at least, in order to begin taking the club to the next level of becoming a mid-table Premiership side.

And Chawke says the Irish-controlled consortium will look to find the funds over the summer.

Sunderland secured their top flight status last month after the manager spent £44m over the course of the preceding two transfer windows – a budget hugely exceeding that of other promoted sides Derby County and Birmingham City, who were relegated at the weekend.

And having given Keane the funds to do the job he was after in their first season back in the Premiership, the board is determined to keep backing the boss.

Keane met with Niall Quinn and Peter Walker yesterday and Chawke feels confident that the manager will go into the summer break in a content frame of mind.

He said: "If £50m is what he needs, that's it.

"He can't do it without the money and if that is the money that he needs, well then some way or other he must get it.

"It is just a matter of getting it for him and going about it in a businesslike manner.

"Roy has had a very difficult year with trying to make Premier League players out of Championship ones.

"But he has got in some good players now, and now he will get in more players to consolidate our position in the Premier League for next year."

Keane says that unless Sunderland break their wage structure and look to increasingly match the likes of Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, his chances of getting headline players to come to the club are slim.

"It was very, very tough last summer and I am under no illusions that this summer is going to be any easier," Keane said.

"We had one or two players last summer who wouldn't even come up for talks — that's what you are battling against.

"We have to strengthen, we need to be stronger for next season."