New Sunderland manager Chris Coleman on the January transfer window and how much money he will have to spend

Coleman has confirmed he has not been promised significant funds for the January window given Sunderland’s financial difficulties, the club spent just £1.25million in the summer.

The Echo understands he will look to use his contacts to make some low cost improvements.

There is likely to be greater financial legroom next summer as a number of players see their Sunderland contract end and more players leave the club on a permanent basis.Coleman, speaking at his unveiling at the Academy of Light, said: "The January transfer window will depend, maybe we will have to regenerate some cash ourselves. I am under no illusions.

"We have got what we have got, I haven't been promised a huge transfer kitty that I can go and splash cash, it is not that.

"So, I knew that before I walked through the door. I know the players we have here, we can improve the players we have here, yes we need to reshuffle the squad, clearly.

"I am not saying anything that nobody knows already. I am not going into the January transfer window with millions of pounds to spend but it can be something to invest.

"I have just walked through the door so I have to get my feet under the table before I can go back to the chairman and say 'right this is what we need, we need this, that.'

"At the minute I have only been here a day. Before I have that conversation with him I will need to take a closer look."

Coleman took charge on Sunday and led training yesterday ahead of his unveiling this morning ahead of the trip to face Aston Villa in the Championship tomorrow night.

Sunderland are bottom of the Championship four points adrift of safety.

Coleman, who resigned as Wales boss on Friday night, is not daunted by the prospect of turning around Sunderland's fortunes.

He added: "Once it was made apparent that we had different ideas, and the powers that be with Wales, I felt it was time to move, I didn’t think I was the right man to take it forward in the direction I wanted to.

"Once I had a conversation with [Sunderland chief executive] Martin Bain, I was very impressed with what he had to say. I know about Sunderland Football Club as we all do, I had 24 hours to think if I could make an impact here.

"Once I realised Wales wasn’t the one for me going forward, I had two conversations with Martin, I was very impressed and delighted the opportunity was there for me to come to this football club.

"I spoke to my wife and she was excited by it, that was it and it was all systems go.

"If you are a manager, you can go through your career without having managed a big club, even at the bottom of the Championship it is still Sunderland Football Club.

"It has 47,000 fans, they might not be all there at the moment, but to try to experience that, it was too big for me to turn down.

"Managers have sat here before and thought the same thing, I know that. I have a big opportunity to manage a seriously big football club.

"The challenges are here, I know that and I am under no illusions. It’s a huge challenge, a big task and I will not be in the comfort zone here. I don’t think anything good comes when you are in your comfort zone anyway."