Sunderland make an appearance in the Premier League for the first time in eight years in the upcoming season.
Top flight football returns to just shy of 50,000 supporters at the Stadium of Light as Régis Le Bris’ side will strive to avoid relegation back to the Championship.
The Black Cats secured a spot at Wembley against Coventry City when Dan Ballard’s extra-time goal sent the stands into raptures.
In the play-off final, they fought back from a goal down courtesy of heroics from Eliezer Mayenda and the outgoing Tommy Watson to shock Sheffield United late on, salvaging a second tier campaign which fell way short of The Blades’ impressive points haul.
Fellow promoted clubs Leeds and Burnley both reached the 100 points mark following their victories on the final day.
Both have spent considerably less this summer on new arrivals, though perhaps boast more strength in depth to tackle the rigours of the Premier League, and have confidence in their existing personnel from their domination of the Championship.
Last season saw all three promoted sides suffer the drop for a second successive time, while 47 percent of promoted sides have been sent straight back down to the second tier since the inception of the Premier League era in 1992.
Sunderland received significant fortunes from their participation and all-important win at Wembley in what is often deemed the most financially lucrative match in English football.
Investing heavily into signings is one of the main priorities when entering the Premier League, but what types of players are targeted and the motivations as to why they are approached separates those who come to flourish and those who inevitably regress.
Ipswich Town were the biggest spenders of those promoted last term; however, the vast majority of their recruits were from the Championship, and they failed to recognise the upsides of probing for players in European leagues.
Sunderland have an alluring project and are capitalising on the Premier League’s status.
They are choosing players who have been in the spotlight previously, from youthful journeymen to experienced veterans.
In their recent pre-season tour, they travelled to Portugal to face Sevilla as Enzo Le Fée’s goal was cancelled out by a late equaliser from the Spanish side.
Sunderland then lost to Sporting Lisbon 1-0, after an admirable battle to keep the scoreline down whilst still bringing the game to the Portuguese champions.
The Black Cats won Division 2 in 1998/99 and achieved back-to-back 7th place finishes in the Premier League immediately after their promotion.
Replicating that feat is simply unrealistic, but their transfer approach explores suitable profiles and entices higher quality players Wearside.
This could allow them to attack the gulf between the top two divisions which has mired teams trying to gain a foothold at the summit of the football pyramid.
Sunderland’s incomings this summer have averaged the age of 22.8 years old so far, and they have identified players from around Europe to equip Le Bris with the right tools in his maiden spell in management at Premier League level.
Finding a happy medium between soaking up pressure and relying on transitional play, and dominant possession-based football will be one of the main obstacles.
Leeds and Burnley showcased their proficiency respectively for each of these polarities, but Sunderland did show signs of adaptability to both.
Translating their style of play into next season is still a challenge, but their signings have been far superior than those of many Premier League clubs.
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Simon Adingra
Sunderland have acquired the 23-year-old Ivory Coast international on a five-year deal for £21 million from Brighton.
They have only delved into the domestic market once, and Adingra’s performances on the flank made him a sought after player that the board needed to act fast on.
He won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023, providing both assists against Nigeria in the final, which earned him the Young Player of the Tournament award.
At club level, he started 25 Premier League games when Roberto De Zerbi was at the helm, and featured for The Seagulls in the Europa League two seasons ago.
Yet, following Fabian Hurzeler’s introduction, together with Yankuba Minteh’s arrival and Kaoru Mitoma’s consistency, his game time dwindled.
He had every right to pursue a move elsewhere, and he certainly has the capability to be a talismanic attacking figure in the North East.
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Habib Diarra
French side Strasbourg commanded a club-record fee of £30 million from Sunderland to offload their star 21-year-old midfielder.
Diarra spent three seasons in France, most recently posting 4 goals and 5 assists in Ligue 1.
Strasbourg finished 7th in the league and were rewarded with Conference League football, yet Diarra has chosen to embark on a different journey and put pen to paper for Sunderland.
Many have regarded the signing as a like-for-like swap with Jobe Bellingham, who completed a move to Borussia Dortmund as he bids to emulate the trajectory of his brother.
The teenage midfield engine missed just four games for Sunderland across two seasons, notching 11 goals and 4 assists.
It was always vital that Sunderland brought in somebody swiftly to fill the void and Diarra’s role as captain at his previous club warranted sizeable interest.
He was deployed mostly in attacking midfield and was instrumental in inflicting PSG with their second loss of the league season.
As per Fbref, he had more combined goals and assists than Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz, despite having six more starts than the latter.
The amount of progressive carries per 90 minutes he executed was higher than either component of the PSG midfield duo, along with how many fouls he won.
His array of passing is eclipsed by both, while his buccaneering style may have prompted Sunderland to make a move as he could align with their tactical endeavours moving forward.
Elements of his game may require some fine-tuning before diving into Premier League demands, but utilising his strengths rather than focusing on weaknesses may be the short-term focus to extract the maximum from him.
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Enzo Le Fée
Le Fée was granted a full 90 minutes at Wembley after only joining the club in January on loan, and he gave his manager and the board the easy decision of handing him the option of a permanent deal.
Upon meeting the valuation of a £19.3 million fee, Roma were willing to let the Frenchman continue his stay at Sunderland.
They have penned a five-year deal for the 25-year-old, and Le Fée’s connection to his manager from his time at Lorient would have been a key factor in this outcome, along with amassing 18 appearances in his short loan.
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Noah Sadiki
Sadiki has joined from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, who won the title last season.
The 20-year-old made 108 appearances in his two seasons there and played 16 times in the Europa League.
Playing continental football is a compelling asset and for someone so young he has the experience necessary to compete in England.
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Chemsdine Talbi
An undoubtedly exciting prospect, who lit up the Champions League for Club Brugge, has been added to Le Bris' ranks.
BBC Sport understands the deal consisted of an £18 million sum accompanied by £2.5 million in potential add-ons.
In his breakthrough season, he managed to contribute 7 goals and 5 assists in 44 appearances for the 19-time Belgium champions.
He was principally effective from the right-wing and played in 11 Champions League ties, including an immense display in the knockout play-off stage against Atalanta.
In the first leg, he pounced on a loose pass and picked out his teammate Ferran Jutgla in the centre, who converted his effort.
A week later, underdogs Brugge secured a place in the last 16 of Europe’s premium competition thanks to Talbi.
He slotted his strike into the bottom corner, through the legs of his defender, and completed a brace when he was alert to a follow up with an emphatic finish, making it 4-1 on aggregate.
Away from home on the biggest stage as a teenager at the time represented a player brimming with confidence.
He was always ready to take the next step in his career, and ready to unleash his trademark electrifying pace in the Premier League.
Sunderland have continued to seek high-calibre assets who have experienced European football, despite the club seemingly being a long way off that dream.
The Mozambique international is an astute signing as Sunderland changed course to acknowledge the importance of senior leaders in the dressing room.
Reinildo, 31, is Sunderland’s sole defensive addition and a strong option at left-back.
The expiration of his contract at Atletico Madrid alerted suitors and Sunderland have tied him down for free.
In the Spanish capital, he made 99 appearances since joining from Lille in 2022 and received great plaudits from Diego Simeone.
After being 1-0 down to Leverkusen, he was substituted on and Atletico went on to win 2-1 in the Champions League's league phase.
Simeone heaped praise on the defender last season: “Reinildo is an example: he had not been a starter for a long time, it was his birthday, and he said some words before the game that showed his humility, and that moved me. In the end, those who never stop working and trying are rewarded. Reinildo, in that second half, was rewarded.”
