Matty Writes Sports

After a tumultuous 8 years away, that included back to back relegations, play-off heartbreak in the third tier and a rather eventful Netflix series, Sunderland have returned to the top flight. It was a long and painful eight years away from the big time, but now the Black Cats have returned, with new leadership, ownership and a change in mentality.

Regis Le Bris’ men escaped the Championship after a nail-biting play off final victory over Sheffield United, with local lad Tommy Watson grabbing the winner from distance to gift promotion to the Black Cats and bringing top-tier football back to Wearside.

Sunderland have a lot to do if they want to stay in the division. Last season, all 3 promoted teams suffered relegation back to the second tier, but this time around, the three promoted teams may be in stronger shape to survive, and despite their 4th place finish, Sunderland have been flexing their ,uscles so far in pre-season.

Transfers

Of the three teams promoted from the Championship, Sunderland have been by far the most active, spending £122 million in the window thus far, with no signs of them slowing down either.

Of course the most marquee signing for the Back Cats was the capture of former Arsenal Captain Granit Xhaka, who returns to English football after two seasons at Bayer Leverkusen. Xhaka was an instrumental cog in the Leverkusen side that went invincible in the 2023/24 season, before following that up with a runners up finish to perennial winners Bayern Munich. Despite an up and down spell for Arsenal, in his 7 years at the club, Xhaka was a well respected member of the dressing room, serving as the club captain in his final two campaigns at the cub, as Arsenal rose to 2nd in the Premier League table the season before his departure. Football fans in England will be well familiar with Xhaka’s rather combative style of play, a tough tackling midfielder with an eye for a long range goal. A Switzerland international since 2011, Xhaka has made 137 appearances for his nation, bringing an abundance of much needed experience to a side sorely lacking in that department, and, for around £18million, it seems a very smart deal for the Black Cats.

The second biggest story for Sunderland this season is the departure of all action midfielder Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund, following in his older brother Jude’s footsteps in moving to West Germany. Bellingham was a key player for Sunderland in his two seasons at the club after joining from Birmingham City’s academy, and his all action nature will be sorely missed in midfield, as he looks to emulate his older brother’s antics in European football.

However, the Black Cats have more than signed an adequate replacement, as Senegalese international Habib Diarra joins the club from RC Strasbourg in Ligue 1. The 21 year old made 30 appearances in the French top flight and beat numerous English clubs to his signature, paying over £30million for the midfielder. He notched 9 goal contributions as Strasbourg qualified for Europe for the first time since 2019-20, before a stellar performance against England in June put him on the radar of several English fans. The midfielder could be a huge signing for Sunderland, and they will need him if they are to stave off the drop.

Another player familiar to English fans will be Simon Adingra, who joins Sunderland from Brighton and Hove Albion. The Ivorian established himself as a first team regular for the Seagulls after a stellar loan spell at Union Saint Gilloise in Belgium. However new signings on the South Coast have rendered Adingra surplus to requirements, and the Black Cats moved quickly to secure the winger’s signature who will help bring pace and exploiveness to Le Bris’ side.

Speaking of former Union Saint Gilloise players, Noah Sadiki moves in from the Belgian outfit. The Belgian born Congolese international brings some much needed rigidity to a Sunderland defence that conceded almost 30 goals more than Burnley’s in last seasons Championship campaign, whilst fellow Belgian Chemsdine Talbi brings flair and versatility to the flanks, relieving the stress on players like Wilson Isidor, who will be trusted to step up to a Premier League level.

Other signings include the free agent move of Reinildo Mandava, who last played for Atletico Madrid, and will become the first Mozambican to play Premier League minutes. Reinildo played 19 games for Atleti in La Liga last season and, at 31 years old will be able to help sure up a Sunderland backline who will 100% be under a lot of pressure as they step up to the Premier League,. Another member of that backline will be Dutch stopper Robin Roefs who has been recruited to challenge Anthony Patterson for the Number 1 shirt

Squad Focus

Sunderland, as the playoff winners will look to improve their squad massively, however, that doesn’t mean there is no quality in it already. Several players seem ready to make the step up and prove themselves useful to the Black Cats this term.

In goal, new signing Robin Roefs is expected to start, as he did for the Netherlands at the u21 Euros this summer, however will face competition from Sunderland academy graduate Anthony Patterson, who started 45 games in the second tier.

In defence, Trai Hume will look to prove he can make the step up on the right hand side; the Northern Irish international was excellent in the Championship and will try to show he has what it takes for Sunderland, whilst new signing Reinildo Mandava arrives to compete for minutes at left back. Mandava has significant experience in the Champions League and across Europe, playing for both LOSC Lille and Atletico Madrid; he now adds Sunderland to that list. Mandava will face competition from Championship regular Dennis Cirkin for his spot, another player looking to cement his status as a Premier League caliber player.

At centre back, Sunderland may need to improve the most. Dan Ballard and ever present Luke O’Nien were their starters in the second division, but it seems Sunderland may want to imrpove upon those two; despite this, they will likely see significant minutes still, especially if Sunderland sign only one central defender.

In midfield, new signing Granit Xhaka may have stolen the headlines, but there is significant quality surrounding the Switzerland captain, especilly in the form of new signings Habid Diarra and Noah Sadiki, who will play a huge role in suring up their midfield. In addition, Dan Neil, their captain will provide energy and patience to the side, whilst more advanced midfielders such as Enzo Le Fee and young maestro Chris Rigg will contribute more to the attack than defence.

Out wide, Simon Adingra seems to be the pick of the bunch; the Ivorian is a very good, if incossistent player who will be looking to find his feet with more significant minutes, whilst Chemsdine Talbi will bring youthful exuberance and flair to the attack. In addition, Patrick Roberts may have a part to play this season, with the former Manchester City man being a key member of their promotion squad.

At the focal point, Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda will be looking to prove they have the goalscoring prowess to keep Sunderland in the division; Isidor was an excellent player for the Black Cats, popping up time and time again with crucial goals whenever the Stadium of Light needed them, whilst Mayenda can cause any defence problems with his mix of physicality and speed. These two will hve to be used to full effect if Sunderland are to stay up.

Potential Targets

Jhon Lucumi

As Sunderland’s search for a central defender continues, many links have been made to Bologna centre back Jhon Lucumi. The Colombian 27 year old defender made 32 appearances in the Italian top flight for the team, as they won their first trophy in over 50 years, lifting the Coppa Italia after defeating Milan in the final 1-0. Lucumi is a 6ft2 central defender, known for his strong ball carrying ability and passing, Lucumi could be available for around £20million this summer, despite Bologna’s qualification to Europe for the upcoming season. The defender has also played for KRC Genk in Belgium before joining the Italian side and has notched over 100 Serie A appearances for his new side. However, with Bologna recently selling Swiss winger Dan Ndoye to Nottingham Forest, they may take the Colombian off of the market, despite reports of the player favouring a move to the North-East.

Bafode Diakite

Another player linked with a move to Wearside is Lille defender Bafode Diakite. Diakite was a crucial member of the Lille side that placed 5th in Ligue 1, qualifying for the Europa League and reaching the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. Diakite is capable of playing anywhere across the backline, registering minutes at both centre half and both fullback positions for Les Dogues last campaign, scoring 4 goals in doing so. Diakite is a strong defender of the ball, strong in the tackle and with a very solid ability to read the game, qualities that Sunderland will almost certainly be needing more of in the Premier League. However, Diakite has also been linked with AFC Bournemouth in recent times, and the defender could become the latest Frenchman to make the move across the pond and into the Premier League.

Charlie Cresswell

Charlie Cresswell is another player being linked to the Stadium of Light and it is easy to see why. Cresswell has been a revelation in France since making his move to Toulouse from Leeds United. Cresswell is a very tall, physically imposing centre back, standing at 6ft6. More of an old school defender, Cresswell loves a tackle and is imperious in the air, helping England to victory at the u21 Euros this summer. However, with 3 years left on his deal in Southern France, this may be a difficut move for the Black Cats to pull off as a result.

Georges Mikautadze

Another name who could be on Sunderland’s shortlist is Georgian striker Georges Mikautadze, who burst onto the scene with his country at UEFA Euro 2024, as he finished joint top scorer at the tournament. Mikautadze followed this up with a solid campaign for Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1, tallying 11 goals and 6 assists as Lyon came 7th. However, with Lyon’s current financial troubles, the French side could be forced into a sale, and numerous Premier League sides have shown interest, with Sunderland amongst them. With the Black Cats still looking short of numbers up front, this could be a smart deal for Le Bris’ side to make, hopefully bringing a goalscoring spark that the team will need to stay in the division.

Amine Adli

The last potential name for the Black Cats is a former teammate of Granit Xhaka’s with Moroccan international Amine Adli linked with a move to England. Adli is a tricky, technically gifted midfield player who can play as a number 10 or even a striker, and despite playing only 20 games for Die Werkself in 2024-25, Adli has been attracting heavy Premier League interest, from Wolves, Aston Villa and Sunderland too. Adli is quick, versatile and strong for his stature, and could bring a new element to a Sunderland side who will be needing some offensive reinforcements.

Key Player: Enzo Le Fee

If Sunderland are to survive this season, the performances of Enzo Le Fee will be crucial to that. Le Fee is a dynamic playmaker, operating best as a number 10 just behind the striker, a crucial position in any modern football team. Le Fee joined the Black Cats from AS Roma in January, featuring in 18 of Sunderland’s games in their promotion campaign, grabbing a goal and 3 assists in that timespan.

Le Fee is an excellent player, someone who is extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet. A superb passer of the ball, Le Fee possesses excellent vision, perfect for picking out a pass and dictating the tempo of games. His ball control is a joy to watch, enabling him to operate in tight spaces perfectly. Whilst plying his trade for Rennes, Le Fee was one of the statistical best dribblers in the league, and his move to Roma was seen as a significant coup for the Giallorossi. Despite his short spell there, it didn’t seem to impact his confidence, as he immediately began to control every Championship game. Alongside the now departed Jobe Bellingham, Le Fee was the conductor of Sunderland’s second half of the season form.

If Sunderland are to stay in the division, Le Fee will have to prove he has what it takes to be the team’s primary conductor.

Potential Lineup and Outlook

Sunderland have the same goal as any other newly promoted team; survive the drop, and, with their new signings implemented, they could be in with a very strong chance of doing just that.

Last season, Le Bris’ men mainly operated with a 4231 system with the ball, reverting to a 433 when the other team were in possession. This helped the team to build up strongly and securely, keeping the ball away from their opponents with their technical and tactical superiority. However, stepping up to the Premier League will be an extremely difficult task and may require a tactical reset from Le Bris. We saw as Kompany’s Burnley and Martin’s Southampton refused to adapt their style to the higher division and were routinely punished for doing so, before being relegated back to the Championship in humiliating fashion.

Sunderland need to avoid this if they’re to survive.

Potential Lineup:

My Prediction: 17th

As it stands, Sunderland still have work to do, but signings like Xhaka and Diarra show the club’s ambition. With their mix of youth and experience, Sunderland might just be able to survive.