International clearance for the transfer must be received before it is finalised and confirmed by either club, with the Scottish Football Association due to convey that to their counterparts at the FA in London.

The Scotland international, who has already passed a medical and agreed terms on a five-year contract, is poised to become the most expensive goalkeeper in British football history.

The current record stands at the £7.8m Manchester United paid to Monaco in 2000 for Fabien Barthez.

Sunderland are due to pay Hearts an initial £7m, with add-ons taking the fee up to £9m if the conditions are met.

Keane, though, is just delighted to finally land his man after beating off competition from other clubs, with the 24-year-old becoming the seventh new face to join the Black Cats this summer.

“I rate him very highly. I think he’s a top goalkeeper,” said the Sunderland manager.

“I believe he has a lot to go. I think he can only get better, and this is the right club for him because we’ve good goalkeeping staff here.

“So we’re delighted, and hopefully it will be finalised later today.

“It’s been a hard deal. (Chief executive) Peter Walker has worked extremely hard, and now we’re almost over the finishing line.”

Aston Villa had been expected to hold talks with Gordon today, but the soon-to-be former Hearts captain was convinced Sunderland were the right club for him following talks with Keane.

Gordon becomes the club’s number one, and is in line to face Tottenham in the Barclays Premier League curtain-raiser at the Stadium of Light on Saturday providing he overcomes a shoulder injury.

“We’ve two other good goalkeepers, which adds competition, and you can’t beat competition for places,” added Keane on safctv.

“The number one jersey was available, and obviously Craig is going to wear that.

“But we’ll see how it goes over the next few days because I think he has had a slight shoulder problem, so it’s touch and go.”

Defender Greg Halford and midfielder Carlos Edwards are also struggling to be fit.

Halford, a £2.5m buy from Reading in June, is more doubtful as he sustained a slight hamstring strain in training yesterday, while Trinidad and Tobago international Edwards has a hip injury.

Keane said: “We hope Carlos will be all right. He joined in training yesterday and we’ll gauge it over the next one or two days.

“Greg has a slight hamstring strain, so it will be touch and go for him.

“But overall the injury problems are not too bad. I look at the situation at other clubs and I think we’ve been very lucky.”