Sunderland signings: All 39 made by current ownership ranked in order

Here, we rank them in order from the worst to the best – with plenty of highs and lows in between.

Fees are rarely made public, so where a confirmed price is not available, an estimate has been made from an assessment of all available data.

39 NAZARIY RUSYN

(From Zorya Luhansk, Sep 2023, £2.2m)

Nazariy Rusyn (Image: Ian Horrocks) The worst deal of the last four-and-a-half years? You can definitely make that argument. It’s not just that Rusyn has been a flop on Wearside, scoring two goals in 32 appearances, it’s also the fact that the Ukrainian cost more than £2m at a time when Sunderland were not really spending that kind of money. Rusyn failed to score a single goal while making 16 loan appearances at Hajduk Split last season, and is contracted to Sunderland to 2027.

38 JEWISON BENNETTE

(From Herdiano, Aug 2022, £1m)

Jewison Bennette (Image: Ian Horrocks) Bennette came with quite a reputation when he moved from his native Costa Rica in the summer of 2022, mainly because he had already forced his way into the Costa Rican national team. He scored against Watford in his second game, but offered next to nothing in the following two-and-a-half years before eventually leaving to join Ukrainian side LNZ Cherkasy this March.

37 ABDOULLAH BA

(From Le Havre, Aug 2022, £800,000)

Abdoullah Ba (Image: Ian Horrocks) The summer transfer window in 2022-23 saw Sunderland cast their net far and wide, and it is safe to say that the move for Ba, which cost them just under £1m, has not worked out as planned. The French midfielder has scored four goals in 74 Sunderland appearances, but was written off by Regis Le Bris ahead of the start of last season and spent last term on loan in the French second tier with Dunkerque.

36 ADIL AOUCHICHE

(From Lorient, Sep 2023, £1.7m)

Adil Aouchiche (Image: Ian Horrocks) Another French addition that hasn’t worked as hoped, Aouchiche was one of the most expensive signings of the Louis-Dreyfus era, costing around £1.7m when he joined from Lorient. He has shown brief glimpses of promise, scoring two goals in 38 games, but was loaned out to Portsmouth in the second half of last season. Sunderland will be trying to move on permanently this summer, with his contract not due to expire until 2028.

35 TIMOTHEE PEMBELE

(From Paris St Germain, Sep 2023, £900,000)

Timothee Pembele (Image: Ian Horrocks) A theme is developing here. Another French addition while Sunderland were in the Championship; another failure. Pembele arrived with a decent reputation after progressing through Paris St Germain’s youth ranks, but aside from one standout performance at Elland Road, the full-back never really looked suited to English football. He is back in the Sunderland ranks after spending last season on loan at Le Havre, but is another player the club will be looking to shift on a permanent basis this summer.

34 IAN POVEDA

(From Leeds, Jul 2024, Free)

Ian Poveda (Image: SAFC) Poveda was the invisible man last season, constantly threatening to return to full fitness, only to break down with another injury issue that kept him on the sidelines. He didn’t cost anything when he arrived from Leeds, so Sunderland’s outlay was at least minimal, but the fact he failed to make a single senior start last season highlights his lack of impact. Having signed a three-year deal, Poveda could remain on the Black Cats’ books for a fair while yet.

33 MILAN ALEKSIC

(From Radnicki, Aug 2024, £3m)

Milan Aleksic (Image: Ian Horrocks) It is probably too soon to be writing Aleksic off, but as the second-most expensive signing under the current ownership prior to this summer’s business, the Serbian has to go down as a bitter disappointment so far. He had to wait four-and-a-half months for his first Sunderland start, and ended last season with just two more appearances in the starting line-up. The 19-year-old has been strongly linked with a potential season-long loan move to Partizan Belgrade this summer.

32 BRADLEY DACK

(From Blackburn, Jul 2023, Free)

Bradley Dack (Image: Ian Horrocks) Tony Mowbray championed the free signing of the veteran forward, but Dack’s injury struggles meant he was never able to show off his qualities in a Sunderland shirt. Signed ahead of the 2023-24 season, Dack scored one goal in 17 outings before the Black Cats opted not to extend his initial one-year contract by another 12 months. Dack is currently playing in League Two with Gillingham.

31 ISAAC LIHADJ

(From Lille, Jan 2023, £400,000)

Isaac Lihadj (Image: SAFC) Another French failure, Lihadji cost around £400,000 when he arrived from Lille in January 2023. The midfielder took time to settle, with Mowbray citing his limited English as a major obstacle to his integration on Wearside, and he made just six senior appearances before he moved on to join Qatari side Al-Duhail just seven months after joining Sunderland. The saving grace, from a Black Cats perspective, is that at least his sale generated a profit.

30 JERMAIN DEFOE

(From Rangers, Feb 2022, Free)

Jermain Defoe (Image: Ian Horrocks) The ultimate example of heart ruling head, Defoe’s second spell as a Sunderland player was a major disappointment. Lee Johnson had reservations about signing him in the first place, and his concerns proved to be justified as an ageing Defoe failed to score a single goal in his two starts and five substitute appearances in the second half of the 2021-22 season. His final outing off the bench in a goalless draw at Lincoln proved to be the last appearance of his illustrious career.

29 LEON DAJAKU

(From Union Berlin, Jul 2022, £800,000)

Leon Dajaku The fact that Dajaku’s standout display in a Sunderland shirt came at Crewe confirms that we are talking about a different era. Initially signed on loan from Union Berlin, Dajaku’s transfer automatically became permanent in the summer of 2022 for a sum of around £800,000. The winger made 39 fairly unremarkable appearances during his two seasons as a Sunderland player before leaving for Hajduk Split. He spent the second half of last season playing in the UAE with Sharjah.

28 AHMED ABDULLAHI

(From Gent, Aug 2024, £1.2m)

Ahmed Abdullahi (Image: SAFC) Abdullahi was described as “one for the future” when he joined Sunderland last summer. Whether that future will ever actually arrive, however, is a moot point. The 21-year-old was nursing a groin injury that eventually required surgery when he joined from Gent last August, signing a four-year deal, and is yet to make his senior debut for the Black Cats. A handful of reserve appearances showed promise, but it remains to be seen whether he graduates to the senior ranks.

27 AARON CONNOLLY

(Unattached, Sep 2024, Free)

Aaron Connolly (Image: Ian Horrocks) The most notable thing about Connolly’s brief spell as a Sunderland player was what he said in an interview rather than anything he did on the pitch. The striker opened up about the alcohol problems that had blighted his career, but while the Black Cats gave him a second chance, he failed to make an impact under Regis Le Bris. He lasted just four months before his contract was cancelled, enabling him to move on to Millwall.

26 JOE ANDERSON

(From Everton, Jan 2023, £300,000)

Joe Anderson (Image: SAFC) If Anderson had remained fit, perhaps he would have been much higher on this list. There have definitely been brief glimpses of potential from the 24-year-old defender, but the early stages of his Black Cats career were blighted by injuries and he spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Shrewsbury. He made one league start last season, and will return for pre-season training with one year remaining on his current deal.

25 PIERRE EKWAH

(From West Ham, Jan 2023, £500,000)

Pierre Ekwah (Image: Ian Horrocks) There have been periods during Ekwah’s Sunderland career when he has looked like being a roaring success. The midfielder made 40 league appearances during the 2023-24 season, scoring five goals, but was unceremoniously cast aside by Le Bris last summer. He spent last season on loan at St Etienne, but while there has been talk of the French club signing him permanently despite their relegation to Ligue 2, his future is uncertain with seemingly no chance of Le Bris offering him a route back in at Sunderland.

24 LUIS HEMIR

(From Benfica, Aug 2023, £400,000)

Luis Hemir (Image: Ian Horrocks) One of the strangest signings of recent times on Wearside, Hemir was signed from Benfica’s youth ranks in the summer of 2023. Mowbray clearly felt he was not ready for English football, but he made 24 senior appearances, 20 of which were as a substitute, without threatening to find the back of the net. He spent last season playing for Juventus’ second-string in Serie C, and is another player with an uncertain future given that he is contracted to 2028.

23 BLONDY NNA NOUKEU

(From Stoke, Aug 2024, Free)

Blondy Nna Noukeu (Image: SAFC) It’s unusual for a reserve goalkeeper to be either a transfer hit or miss. Most tend to spend their time in the shadows, failing to make much of an impression either way, and that is certainly true of Nna Noukeu, who joined Sunderland as a free agent last summer following his release from Stoke. He has not played a single second for the first team, but still has another year on his current deal.

22 SIMON MOORE

(From Coventry, Jun 2024, Free)

Simon Moore (Image: SAFC) Another reserve goalkeeper, but this time, at least who featured for the first team. Moore joined Sunderland as a free agent last summer, following his release from Coventry, and stepped into the side last October when Anthony Patterson was unavailable because of injury. The 35-year-old started four league games, and also made two more cup appearances, and remains on the Black Cats’ books ahead of next season.

21 JAY MATETE

(From Fleetwood, Jan 2022, £200,000)

Jay Matete (Image: Ian Horrocks) Signed at the start of 2022, in the season that would end with Sunderland triumphing in the League One play-off final, Matete helped plug a midfield gap that had been a problem prior to his arrival. He was a substitute in both legs of the play-off semi-final win over Sheffield Wednesday, but dropped out of the first-team frame once the Black Cats were able to re-establish themselves in the Championship. He spent last season on loan at Bolton, and is available for sale this summer.

20 ALEX BASS

(From Portsmouth, Jul 2022, £250,000)

Alex Bass (Image: SAFC) Back to the reserve goalkeeper ranks, and Bass, who joined Sunderland from Portsmouth in the summer of 2022. The 27-year-old made two senior appearances before leaving for Peterborough earlier this summer, with his departure seeing the Black Cats recoup pretty much all of the money they spent on the shot-stopper. Bass’ most memorable moment as a Sunderland player came in a reserves game at St James’ Park, when he headed home a stoppage-time equaliser against Newcastle.

19 LEO HJELDE

(From Leeds, Jan 2024, £1.5m)

Leo Hjelde (Image: Ian Horrocks) Hjelde joined Sunderland from Leeds at the start of 2024 to plug a gap at left-back, although the 21-year-old’s versatility means he has also lined up at centre-half. He has made 31 senior appearances for the Black Cats, the most recent of which saw him come off the bench in the dying seconds of May’s play-off final at Wembley, and while there is a sense that his best is probably still to come, it is hard to imagine him getting too many chances in the top-flight next season.

18 ALAN BROWNE

(From Preston, Jul 2024, Free)

Alan Browne (Image: Ian Horrocks) Browne was signed to help swell Sunderland’s midfield ranks last summer, and while the Irishman failed to establish himself as a regular starter, he made a handful of important contributions to last season’s successful promotion campaign. His tally of 23 appearances was a decent enough return for a free agent, with his most memorable moment coming when he produced the chipped shot that led to Illan Meslier’s howler at the Stadium of Light.

17 NATHAN BISHOP

(From Man Utd, Aug 2023, £400,000)

Nathan Bishop (Image: SAFC) Signed from Manchester United in the summer of 2023, made two senior appearances in a Sunderland career that featured loan spells at Wycombe and Cambridge. His impact on the pitch was negligible, but he was an influential figure behind the scenes, as highlighted by the warm praise from Kristjaan Speakman that accompanied confirmation of his permanent departure to AFC Wimbledon earlier this week.

16 JENSON SEELT

(From PSV Eindhoven, Jun 2023, £1.8m)

Jenson Seelt (Image: Ian Horrocks) It is hard not to wonder when Seelt’s career might have taken him by now had he not suffered a serious knee injury in March 2024 that sidelined him for more than a year. A composed, athletic centre-half, who had only just turned 20 when he moved to England, Seelt’s only senior appearance since breaking down with injury came when he left the bench at Coventry this March. A case of what might have been, although there is still time for the Dutchman to make his mark.

15 NECTAR TRIANTIS

(From Central Coast Mariners, Jun 2023, £300,000)

Nectar Triantis (Image: Ian Horrocks) While he has been a Sunderland player for two years now, almost all of Triantis’ senior appearances since leaving his native Australia have come in the green-and-white of Hibernian. Remodelled from a defender into a defensive midfielder, Triantis became a firm favourite in Edinburgh during his two loan spells at Easter Road. He looks likely to leave Sunderland on a permanent basis this summer, with the Black Cats set to make a significant profit on the £300,000 that was spent to sign him.

14 ALEX PRITCHARD

(From Huddersfield, Jun 2021, Free)

Alex Pritchard (Image: Ian Horrocks) Pritchard was signed at the start of the 2021-22 season that would eventually end with Sunderland winning promotion back to the Championship. The central midfielder was a key part of the promotion-winning team, making 47 appearances in all competitions and starting all three games in the play-offs in his first campaign on Wearside. He remained an important presence in the first season back in the Championship, but gradually slipped down the pecking order before being sold to Birmingham in February 2024.

13 NIALL HUGGINS

(From Leeds, Aug 2021, Free)

Niall Huggins (Image: Ian Horrocks) A tally of 22 starts and six substitute appearances might seem like an extremely poor return for four years on Sunderland’s books. It is, but that isn’t a reflection on Huggins’ ability levels. Instead, it highlights the extent to which the versatile defender has been ravaged by serious injury issues in the last four seasons. When he has played, he has invariably looked good, and having signed a contract extension to 2026 despite his problems, the free signing from Leeds could still take his career to another level with Sunderland.

12 CORRY EVANS

(From Blackburn, Jul 2021, Free)

Corry Evans (Image: Ian Horrocks) Signed on a free transfer following his release from Blackburn, Evans was immediately named club captain by Lee Johnson and the midfielder was an influential presence during the promotion-winning season in League One. He made 42 appearances in the 2021-22 campaign, starting all three play-off games, and was settling into life in the Championship reasonably well when he suffered an ACL injury in January 2023 that effectively ended his Sunderland career.

11 AJI ALESE

(From West Ham, Jul 2022, £500,000)

Aji Alese (Image: Ian Horrocks) While Alese has had some fine moments in a Sunderland shirt since moving from West Ham in the summer of 2022, he is another player whose time on Wearside has been badly affected by injuries. A serious thigh problem sidelined him for a big chunk of the 2022-23 season, and while he was rushed back to make the second leg of the play-off semi-final against Luton, he broke down again in the wake of the game. Back again last season, he broke his leg in the FA Cup defeat to Stoke. On his day, however, Alese’s qualities are obvious – strong, athletic and fiercely committed, the left-back can also play at centre-half.

10 DANNY BATTH

(From Stoke, Jan 2022, Free)

Danny Batth (Image: Ian Horrocks) The free signing of Batth was one of the first transfer moves made by the current regime, and the defender’s switch from Stoke City proved to be a success. Batth quickly forced his way into Alex Neil’s preferred line-up and made 12 appearances in the second half of the 2021-22 season, starting all three of the play-off matches, including the final at Wembley. He was pretty much an ever-present in the following season, with his untimely injury towards the end of the campaign undoubtedly a factor in Sunderland’s failure to cope with Luton’s physical threat in the play-off semi-final.

9 ROMAINE MUNDLE

(From Standard Liege, Feb 2024, £1.7m)

Romaine Mundle (Image: Ian Horrocks) It has been something of a slow burner, but Mundle’s £1.7m move from Standard Liege a year-and-a-half ago has proved to be an astute bit of business. The winger had to bide his time while Jack Clarke was playing on the left flank, but he came into his own last season despite some unwelcome injury issues. Mundle scored five goals in 22 Championship outings last term, and while it remains to be seen whether he can make the step up to the Premier League, he is undoubtedly now worth far more than Sunderland paid for him.

8 WILSON ISIDOR

(From Zenit St Petersburg, Feb 2025, £5m)

Wilson Isidor (Image: Ian Horrocks) When Sunderland signed Isidor on loan from Zenit St Petersburg last summer, they sensibly negotiated the terms of a future permanent deal. As a result, while Isidor had successfully established himself as one of the best strikers in the Championship by the time the clause for a permanent transfer was due to kick in, the Black Cats were still able to sign the 24-year-old for just £5m. That already looks a real bargain, with Isidor having scored 13 goals in all competitions last season.

7 ELIEZER MAYENDA

(From Sochaux, Jul 2023, £700,000)

Eliezer Mayenda (Image: Ian Horrocks) For most of Mayenda’s first season as a Sunderland player, it looked as though the Black Cats had overpaid for the Spaniard, even though they only shelled out around £700,000 to sign him from Sochaux. Towards the end of last season, he wasn’t even getting a game while on loan at Hibernian. Things changed dramatically last season, though, with Mayenda settling into life in the Championship and scoring ten goals in all competitions, including the equaliser in the play-off final at Wembley. Still just 20, Mayenda’s value has soared in the last 12 months. If Sunderland were to sell him now, he’d easily command an eight-figure sum.

6 DAN BALLARD

(From Arsenal, Jul 2022, £2m)

Dan Ballard (Image: Ian Horrocks) Ballard became the most expensive signing under Louis-Dreyfus when he joined from Arsenal in the summer of 2022. In the three years since, though, his value has soared, to the point where Sunderland could name their price if they decided to sell. Calm and composed in possession, while also strong, athletic and defensively sound, Ballard is the ideal centre-half. When he returned from injury towards the end of last season, it was telling that Le Bris couldn’t get him back in the starting line-up quickly enough, with the head coach’s faith being more than repaid when the Northern Irishman headed home the winner in the play-off semi-final.

5 DENNIS CIRKIN

(From Tottenham, Aug 2021, £500,000)

Dennis Cirkin (Image: Ian Horrocks) How on earth did Sunderland manage to pluck Cirkin from Tottenham’s reserve ranks for around £500,000 four years ago? The Black Cats felt they had spotted a player with immense development potential, and their judgement has proved to be justified – and then some. When he has been fit, Cirkin has been pretty much a permanent fixture in Sunderland’s first team under a succession of different bosses. His importance was underlined last season as he missed just four games before Le Bris started changing things in March, before returning to start all three play-off games.

4 JACK CLARKE

(From Tottenham, Jul 2022, £750,000)

Jack Clarke (Image: Ian Horrocks) Signed for less than £1m after a successful loan deal; sold two years later in a deal that could eventually be worth £20m. Financially, Sunderland couldn’t have asked for much more from the signing of Jack Clarke from Spurs. In a footballing sense, the Black Cats also hit the jackpot with the left winger, who established himself as one of the best players in the Football League during his three seasons on Wearside, the first of which ended in promotion from League One. His 94 games featured 27 goals and delivered a succession of highlights as he dazzled down the left-hand side.

3 PATRICK ROBERTS

(From Man City, Jan 2022, Free)

Patrick Roberts (Image: Ian Horrocks) The best free transfer in Sunderland’s history? The deal that brought Patrick Roberts from Manchester City has to be right up there. Roberts initially joined on a six-month deal when the Black Cats were in League One, but it didn’t take them long to offer the winger a much longer contract. Roberts was a key part of Sunderland’s promotion-winning team in League One, scoring a crucial play-off semi-final winner at Hillsborough, and proved every bit as influential in the Championship. He has made 142 appearances in a Sunderland shirt, and will hope to remain a key performer in the Premier League.

2 JOBE BELLINGHAM

(From Birmingham, Jun 2023, £1.5m)

Jobe Bellingham (Image: Ian Horrocks) When Sunderland signed Bellingham from Birmingham two summers ago, some queried whether they were attracted by the teenager’s surname rather than his playing attributes. Suffice to say, any questions were well and truly answered by Jobe’s performances on the pitch during his two years as a Black Cat. The central midfielder initially starred under Mowbray before becoming a key part of Le Bris’ first-choice line-up last season. He made 90 appearances, scoring 11 goals, before heading to Borussia Dortmund this summer in a deal worth an initial €33m. Transfer business doesn’t get much better than that.

1 TRAI HUME

(From Linfield, Jan 2022, £200,000)

Trai Hume (Image: Ian Horrocks) When Hume joined Sunderland from Northern Irish side Linfield at the start of 2022, it’s safe to say the transfer went somewhat under the radar. Costing just £200,000, he made his debut in a defeat to Cheltenham. Hardly an auspicious start. Fast forward three-and-a-half years, though, and Hume has developed into the heartbeat of this Sunderland team. He has made 132 appearances, helped Sunderland win two promotions in the space of four seasons, filled in at every position along the back four and set the tone for the dogged competitiveness that has taken the Black Cats back to the top-flight. Not the sexiest signing, admittedly, but in terms of the impact Hume has had at Sunderland and the price that was paid to sign him, the best.