Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy today landed his second summer signing when defender Gary Breen signed a two-year contract.
The Republic of Ireland international completed a medical yesterday afternoon before committing himself to the club and joined his new team-mates for training this morning.
"Gary Breen underwent a successful medical yesterday," said a club spokesman. "He's signed a two-year contract and will meet up with the rest of the squad today for training."
Breen, a free agent after leaving West Ham, becomes the second new face to arrive at the Stadium of Light within 24 hours after midfielder Jeff Whitley put pen to paper on an 11-month deal yesterday.
McCarthy has had to be patient through a difficult summer as his club comes to terms with the crippling financial problems into which they were plunged by relegation from the Premiership at the end of last season.
The Black Cats have debts of around stg£38million and have little choice but to offload their biggest names and highest earners.
However, so far only Swiss full back Bernt Haas, England midfielder Gavin McCann and central defender Jody Craddock have left Weirside for hard cash.
And although Aston Villa have agreed a £2.25m fee for keeper Thomas Sorensen, McCarthy needs to reduce his squad further by losing the likes of Kevin Phillips, Claudio Reyna and Michael Gray in order to balance the books.
But at least the sales he has made to date have allowed chairman Bob Murray to give him the go-ahead to start rebuilding, and the acquisition of Whitley and Breen have started the ball rolling.
Out-of-contract Celtic midfielder Colin Healy remains in his sights, but the extent to which McCarthy can continue to reshape his squad will continue to depend on departures.