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Stuart Jamieson

Maddison, Marquis and Shankland - the players Sunderland fans want to see the Black Cats sign

When it comes to Sunderland's summer transfer plans, it's all about quality not quantity.

The Black Cats are facing up to another season in League One following their play-off heartache which saw the Wearsiders come so close to winning promotion.

Every club in the division is looking to improve their squad this summer, of course, but for Sunderland manager Jack Ross it's a case of looking to improve in certain key areas as opposed to wholesale changes.

After all, this is a side which lost only five times in the league all season, but Ross will be keen to add that extra factor which should get his side over the line at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

With that in mind, we asked you on our Facebook page which one player you would most like to see Sunderland sign this summer.

And while, as you would expect, your replies were varied, there were some key names which appeared more than once.

Top among them was Peterborough's playmaker Marcus Maddison.

A boyhood Sunderland fan, Maddison is widely regarded as one of the most talented players in League One, and someone the Black Cats have been linked to before.

The former Gateshead man scored 10 times for Posh last season, as they narrowly missed out on the play-offs, but Sunderland would have to pay in excess of £1m to bring him back north.

While Will Grigg and Charlie Wyke battled it out for the striker position towards the end of last season, many fans would like to see an out-and-out frontman added to the Black Cats' squad.

And two names come to fore among supporters, with Doncaster's John Marquis and former Ayr United striker both rated.

Marquis was one of the strikers Sunderland tried to sign in the January window before landing Grigg for £3m from Wigan Athletic, while Shankland has long been on the Black Cats radar.

The 24-year-old Shankland is available on a free transfer and a report last weekend suggested Sunderland were favourites to sign the 34-goal hitman, who worked with Jack Ross during a loan spell at St Mirren.

John Marquis of Doncaster Rovers (Getty Images)

Here's a selection of how you responded to our transfer question:

"Marcus Maddison, Jack Whatmough and John Marquis, oh and Jon Aribo from Charlton on a free" - Adam Brannigan

"Centre halves. The Charlton pair were immense, physical in the play off final. Either or both of those, in front of McLaughlin, would stop the need for us to score two or three each game" - Stephen Geers

"We should be looking at the young hungry players in our academy and also the players who have been released by premier league clubs, we are the idea club to take them on and how many times has a young play dropped down a division or two only to thrive" - Ian Brewster

"Freddie Ladapo, Jason Naismith, Marcus Maddison" - Thomas Jones

"Lyle Taylor from Charlton" - Kailum McDermont

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