The Black Cats sacked Lee Johnson earlier this month after their promotion hopes threatened to implode following a hammering at the hands of Bolton Wanderers in League One.
Keane has been the favourite to become the next manager and is favoured by the majority of the Sunderland board, but he is not the only candidate.
Talks have been ongoing between the two sides and he is largely expected to take hold of the club again 13 years after he left Sunderland in 2009.
However, a deal has not been agreed yet and it has been claimed that there is still no breakthrough in negotiations.
Sunderland are pushing to agree on a deal with Keane and he remains the number one target for the Black Cats.
The League One club are still hopeful that an agreement will be reached by the end of the week.
Sunderland want a new manager in place before they take on Wimbledon in a league game this weekend.
A defeat to Cheltenham on Tuesday night stressed the importance of Sunderland sorting out the managerial limbo as soon as possible.
