Players targeted by Everton and West Ham are among those at Sunderland who could arguably still be playing in the Premier League.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin of Everton scores a goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match against Sunderland.
Sunderland have struggled since their ten-year stay in the Premier League came to an end last season as they now sit in the relegation zone in the Championship.
Although only ten games in the threat of going down in successive years is starting to feel very real, but the Black Cats do have some players who could potentially still feature in the English top flight.
Lamine Kone and Tyias Browning of Sunderland challenge Curtis Davies of Derby County.
Lamine Kone
Only bottom-placed Bolton Wanderers have a worse defensive record in the division than Simon Grayson’s side – who have conceded 19 goals already in the league – but Kone seems like a player operating below his standard.
Having played a big part in them staying up in 2015/16, some poor results since doesn’t reflect well on the centre-back, but as the Liverpool Echo reports Everton have shown interest in the past.
Didier Ndong of Sunderland and Callum Reilly of Bury in action during the Carabao Cup First Round.
Didier Ndong
The midfielder became the North East club’s record signing in the summer of 2016 when he joined from Lorient for £13.6m (BBC), although couldn’t help them avoid the drop.
That said, the Gabon international is still only 23-years-old and according to the Independent was considered as an alternative to Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho by West Ham United this summer – of course the Hammers ended up signing neither.
Paddy McNair
Joined his former Manchester United manager David Moyes at the Stadium of Light in the summer of 2016 and did well before a cruciate ligament injury ended his season early in November.
McNair is yet to return to first team action but is expected back soon and if he didn’t have fitness issues the 22-year-old could well have been leaving Wearside this summer to remain in the top flight.
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