Sunderland will be looking for several additions ahead of next season and where better to look than their League One promotion rivals for some new signings?
Sunderland will be hoping to return to the Championship at the first time of asking after back-to-back relegations.
And with new owner Stewart Donald declaring his team will have a hefty budget a couple of days before appointing former St Mirren boss Jack Ross, the hunt for players to join them in League One begins.
The third tier offers a new challenge for the people at the helm of a new era on Wearside and where would be better to look for transfers than some of next season’s potential promotion rivals?
It is no secret that the Black Cats were strapped for goal-scoring options last season, with Ashley Fletcher and Josh Maja the only regular options up front for former manager Chris Coleman.
New boss Ross will be searching far and wide for a striker who can fire his team to the top of the league from the opening game of the season, and Peterborough United forward Jack Marriott could be that man.
Marriott was League One’s top scorer last campaign, managing 27 goals. The Englishman averaged a goal every 145 minutes and played over 3900 minutes for the side who finished ninth last season.
The forward would be hard to lure away from Peterborough, but the attraction of playing for Sunderland as well as a worthy transfer fee could seal the deal.
Next on Sunderland’s transfer shortlist should be Plymouth midfielder Graham Carey, who chipped in with both goals and assists for his side last season.
Carey scored 14 goals and assisted 12 times across the season – and he would be a superb addition to a Sunderland side who have lacked a creative outlet in recent years.
Like Marriott, Carey may be one who could prove hard to lure from the club he has played for since 2015, but money talks and the prospect of playing in front of a passionate fanbase like Sunderland’s may prove hard to turn down.
Last but certainly not least is Shrewsbury Town stopper Dean Henderson, who could solve Sunderland’s late goalkeeping problem.
The 21-year-old is currently out on loan from Manchester United, but is unlikely to feature anytime soon – so a move to Sunderland could make sense.
Henderson was one of the most consistent performers from last season’s campaign and even featured in the League One team of the season, after keeping 16 clean sheets from 41 games.
Henderson’s Shrewsbury reached the play-off final with his side, but were beaten by Rotherham United.
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