DICK ADVOCAAT has confirmed he still wants “three or four” players but claims nothing is imminent as Sunderland prepare for Thursday’s pre-season friendly with Darlington.

The Black Cats head coach has already landed Sebastian Coates and Adam Matthews but is determined to ensure the spending does not stop there.

Zenit St Petersburg defender Nicolas Lombaerts and Dinamo Kiev’s Jeremain Lens are two of the most likely candidates to join this summer and Advocaat knows he needs more.

“We need more competition in the squad,” said Advocaat. “We’ve got two new players and hopefully we will try to get others in as well. “We are trying hard to do that but it’s too early to mention names. You will have to wait and see.

“Three more are needed, maybe four. It’s still very quiet in the transfer market in England and that’s strange. We will be happy with three extra players - that will make everything a little bit easier. “I don’t want to go into names because I’ve read so many names. I’m said to be interested in 20 - and some will go out.”

Advocaat was speaking to the media for the first time since making a U-turn on a decision to retire.

He enjoyed the nine games he had last season when he helped Sunderland stay in the Premier League and his wife ended up agreeing to him staying on – which led to Sunderland fans raising money to say thanks to Mrs Advocaat.

“The most important thing was that the family was happy, the club tried to convince me every day and she (wife) was listening,” he said. “At a certain moment she said ‘just do it if you still want to do it.’ That was the moment when Lee Congerton was pushing every day.

“Not to become sentimental, but we had a great time in the last period of the season. We were together and I was explaining to her the feeling that we had. I want to work. I still feel really good and I changed her mind. The flowers? They were something special to her.”