DICK ADVOCAAT has delivered the strongest hint yet that he is willing to remain as Sunderland head coach for at least another season if the club’s owner, Ellis Short, is prepared to deliver the “five or six” key additions that will enable him to avoid another relegation battle.

Having been offered the opportunity to remain in his current position for at least another season in the wake of the goalless draw at Arsenal that confirmed Sunderland’s Premier League survival, Advocaat has promised to provide Short with a definitive response by Thursday morning.

The Dutchman will return to Holland to discuss his future with his wife, who is keen for him to make a permanent return to his homeland and retire from management, after the Black Cats complete their campaign with a trip to champions Chelsea tomorrow.

As well as smoothing out his personal situation, Advocaat is also scheduled to hold talks with Short to discuss the owner’s long-term ambition for the club, and having witnessed Sunderland scrape to safety for the second season in a row, the 67-year-old is adamant that significant investment is required if another battle against relegation is not to be in the offing.

The Northern Echo: BIG TIP: Ellis Short

IN CHARGE: Ellis Short

Tellingly, Advocaat has revealed that he has already drawn up a list of potential transfer targets – something he would surely not have done if he had no interest in remaining beyond the end of the season – and while Sunderland’s current boardroom structure means that sporting director Lee Congerton will continue to have a significant input into transfer dealings, the Dutchman appears willing to extend his stay if Short can provide the assurances he is seeking.

“I have my own personal situation to consider, but beside that, it is also very important to know what the club wants,” said Advocaat, who has overseen three wins and three draws in his eight matches since replacing Gus Poyet. “This squad needs five or six good players. It doesn’t need quantity, it needs quality.

“That is what is important, and it is the only way to change things. The owner has previously said that he wants to be challenging for positions nine or ten on a regular basis, and even a little bit higher.

“With all respect, you have to invest to do that because otherwise you have no chance. You have to invest, and then you can build up something. If they are not clear on the need to invest, then I had better leave.

“I have some ideas about players to sign, but the club have their own ideas as well. Now it starts because it was very difficult for them to do anything when they did not know if they were going to be in the Premier League or the division lower. Hopefully, they will make the right start.”

While Advocaat has steadfastly refused to directly address his future throughout his time on Wearside, his comments in the last 24 hours have strengthened the impression that he would like to remain for at least another season if he can persuade Sunderland’s board to adequately invest in the squad.

Had he been intending to walk away, he would surely have done it in the wake of Wednesday’s emotional draw at the Emirates, which saw him in tears on the sidelines alongside his long-term assistant, Bert van Lingen.

The fact he is still discussing the possibility of remaining in place strongly suggests it is an option that remains on the table, even though he had previously admitted that international football suited him better because of the lengthy breaks between matches.

At 67, Advocaat is clearly coming towards the end of his coaching career, but given that Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Robson both enjoyed considerable success into their 70s, the former Dutch league winner with PSV Eindhoven is adamant that his age should not be a hindrance to him continuing in his post.

“It is not important to talk about other people who are the same age as me, the only important thing is how I feel,” he said. “Everybody who is involved in football knows how important this is for me, but there are other things to consider as well.

“That’s the reason why we (he and van Lingen) went into international football with countries like Serbia and Belgium. If you do that, you still have time for other things as well. At a club like this, it is not seven days a week, it is like the Beatles said it was, eight days a week.”

Be that as it may, the vast majority of Sunderland supporters would like Advocaat to remain, and after a couple of years of seemingly endless upheaval, it would surely benefit the club as a whole to have some stability at the head of the coaching team.

Advocaat’s abilities are evident from the upturn in the Black Cats’ results in the last two months, but while he arrived in the immediate aftermath of a humiliating 4-0 home defeat to Aston Villa, he was always confident that survival was a realistic ambition.

“Before I started, I saw a lot of DVDs so I knew what we could expect,” he said. “But from day one in training, I could see there was a group of players who were really desperate to stay up. The way they trained was really positive because this team had to do it with the way they were working. And they did. If you have that kind of attitude, you can stay in the league.”

Vito Mannone will replace the injured Costel Pantilimon in goal tomorrow, with Danny Graham a major doubt after he damaged his ankle.