Sunderland could have best centre-back partnership in League One with Glenn Loovens and Jack Baldwin

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Sunderland have almost completed their summer rebuild ahead of their League One campaign, with plenty of defenders arriving on Wearside.

Sunderland have had a summer with plenty of transfer activity in preparation for League One, with several players having departed and arrived on Wearside.

The Black Cats have brought in a number of players in key areas, with Chris Maguire, Dylan McGeouch and striker Jerome Sinclair all linking up with Sunderland manager Jack Ross.

However, arguably the best transfers of the summer for Sunderland have come in the form of centre-backs Jack Baldwin and Glenn Loovens, which could be the best defensive pairing in League One next season.

The players joined Sunderland ahead of their first third tier campaign in 30 years and will be hopeful of playing in the Wearsiders’ opener against Charlton Athletic next weekend.

Loovens is the more experienced of the pair and, at 34, has featured for a number of different clubs across Holland, Scotland and England, including Feyenoord, Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday.

And the Dutch international’s wealth of footballing experience is likely exactly why the former St Mirren boss signed the player, as well as Loovens’ clear ability to lead a side from defence, having captained his former club Sheffield Wednesday on several occasions.

Baldwin is the younger of the two at 25, but he also captained his previous club Peterborough United for two seasons after receiving the armband in 2016, with the player having made 100 appearances for Sunderland’s League One competitors.

However, despite being younger than his new Dutch teammate , Baldwin has made 203 appearances across League One, League Two and the domestic cup competitions, making him a relatively experienced head in the heart of Sunderland’s defence next term.

And the pair together would certainly be a force to be reckoned, with the duo not only having made 600 appearances in their footballing career combined, but also because of their impressive attributes.

That includes their ability to command their defence and occasionally chip in with a goal, making them potentially one of League One’s best centre-back pairings next season.