The transfer window opens next week, and Sunderland have already lined up their first summer addition with young Australian defender Nectarios Triantis set for Wearside. Triantis is expected to be the first of a series of close-season signings as the Black Cats look to expand and reinforce their squad after defying a catalogue of injuries to reach the Championship play-offs last term.
Sunderland will look to add more budding talent, such as 20-year-old Triantis, balanced by some experienced heads, with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman - who is in overall charge of recruitment - announcing recently that he wants to build a squad capable of challenging for promotion under head coach Tony Mowbray. That will involve, firstly, retaining the club's star men who will have caught the eye of Premier League clubs, reinforcing key positions such as centre-forward and in central defence where the squad was stretched due to injuries last term, while improving the squad still further, and also finding trying to fill the void left by the brilliant Amad who shone during his loan spell from Manchester United but has now returned to Old Trafford.
Sunderland's recruitment last season was a resounding success, with the Black Cats bringing in a series of players in the summer who helped establish the club back in the second tier following promotion from League One, with further players added in January. And as the club prepares to embark on its next round of recruitment, it is time to cast an eye over the players who arrived over the last 12 months - the 13 players who made up the class of 2022-23.
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Aji Alese
Former England U20 international defender Alese joined Sunderland from West Ham last summer for an undisclosed fee, signing an initial three-year deal. He was quickly integrated into the side, at first playing as a left-sided central defender before spending some time at left-back.
Alese proved to be an excellent addition to the squad and would have played many more games last season had he stayed injury-free. As it was, he picked up a foot injury in October and a similar problem in December, before suffering a thigh injury in March which restricted him to just one more outing - as a substitute - in the Black Cats' play-off second leg at Luton Town.
But, when fit, Alese's defending was impressive, as was his willingness to get forward down the left. The 21-year-old has made a bright start to his time at Sunderland and will be expected to push for a regular place in the starting XI next term.
League: 17 (3) 1gl
FA Cup: 2 (0)
League Cup: 1 (0)
Play-offs: 0 (1)
Amad
The jewel in the crown of Sunderland's recruitment last season, the Manchester United forward joined on a season-long loan deal. His ability was never in question - not for nothing did the Red Devils did not splash out a reported £35m to sign him from Italian side Atalanta - but, following a disappointing loan spell at Rangers the previous season, the Black Cats gave him the platform he needed to shine.
And shine he did, ending the season as Sunderland's top scorer and also contributing four assists. The Ivory Coast international's clever passing, close control, and the quality of his finishing made him a fan favourite on Wearside.
In an ideal world, Sunderland would love to bring him back next season but the reality is that Amad could now be given a chance to play in the Premier League by Man U boss Erik ten Hag or, failing that, he will be sent out on loan to a top flight club either in England or in one of the other top divisions in Europe. Finding a replacement for Amad will be nigh on impossible for Sunderland next season.
League: 27 (10) 13gls
FA Cup: 3 (0)
Play-offs: 2 (0) 1gl
Joe Anderson
Defender Anderson joined Sunderland on deadline day in January from Everton, signing a three-and-a-half year contract with the option of a further year, with the 22-year-old leaving Goodison Park without making a first-team appearance for the Toffeemen. The centre-back had joined Everton's academy at the age of 15, having previously been part of Liverpool's youth system.
Anderson made his Sunderland debut - and also his senior debut - as a late substitute in the Black Cats' 1-1 draw at Millwall in early February, replacing Dennis Cirkin five minutes from time after he was off with concussion sustained as he headed the equalising goal. Since then, Anderson has been used very sparingly, making just three more substitute appearances totalling 35 minutes.
Tony Mowbray has several times pointed to Anderson's potential while saying the youngster still needs to adapt to the physical side of senior football - and the fact that he was not brought into the side even when Sunderland lacked any fit first-team centre-backs during the run-in, with full-backs Trai Hume and Lynden Gooch playing out of position instead, is a sign that he is not yet seen as ready to play Championship football. Mowbray has floated the possibility of allowing Anderson to go out on loan next season to expose him to regular first-team football, and that may well be the next step in his career.
League: 0 (4)
Abdoullah Ba
Ba joined Sunderland from French club Le Havre for an undisclosed fee towards the end of the summer transfer window, with the 19-year-old signing a five-year contract with the Black Cats. Of all Sunderland's foreign imports last season, he had the most involvement and played the most minutes.
The France U20 midfielder made his debut in September, his first start in November, and scored his first and only goal - the winner at Norwich City - in March, and as the season progressed he looked increasingly comfortable in the Championship. His physique makes him well-suited to the English game, but he also has bags of technical ability and offered creativity going forward.
His first season at Sunderland can be regarded as a success, and he will be expected to start more games next season.
League: 8 (19) 1gl
FA Cup: 2 (1)
Play-offs: 0 (2)
Daniel Ballard
Northern Ireland international centre-back Ballard joined Sunderland from Arsenal in June last year for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year deal. He arrived on Wearside having already spent loan spells in League Two with Swindon Town, in League One with Blackpool, and having had a season in the Championship with Millwall.
The 23-year-old's quality was immediately apparent and he settled straight into the side, but suffered an early injury blow when he fractured his foot in only his third outing for the club - a problem that kept him out for four months. He returned in December and went on to establish himself as an automatic choice in central defence, only to then see his season cut short at the end of March when he picked up a hamstring injury while away on international duty.
Such was his importance to the side that his loss was a major blow for Sunderland, not least in the play-off semi-final against Luton when his presence and aerial ability were sorely missed. But, injuries notwithstanding, Ballard's contribution was excellent and he will be a vital part of the team next season - and hopefully he will avoid any more significant spells in the treatment room.
League: 18 (1)
FA Cup: 3 (0)
Alex Bass
Bass was brought in from Portsmouth last summer for an undisclosed fee, signing an initial three-year deal on Wearside with the option of a further 12 months. The 25-year-old was signed as cover for the man already established as Sunderland's number one goalkeeper, academy product Anthony Patterson.
With Patterson staying fit and in excellent form throughout the season, Bass' opportunities were severely limited and he spent the vast majority of the campaign watching from the bench. His only two appearances came in the cup competitions, and he made his debut in the League Cup first round defeat against League One Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in August.
Bass' other appearance came in the FA Cup third round tie at Shrewsbury Town in January, when the Wearsiders saw off the League One side 2-1. On that evidence, Bass has looked a capable deputy for Patterson although it is hard to judge him on two isolated outings, five months apart, against lower-league opposition.
League: 0 (0)
FA Cup: 1 (0)
League Cup: 1 (0)
Jewison Bennette
A summer addition from Costa Rican side Herediano on a four-year deal, Bennette was a wildcard signing - arriving on Wearside with fans knowing little of his background or pedigree. The winger's arrival owed much to Sunderland's new 'data-driven' approach to transfers and, at 18 years of age, he certainly fits the template of a young player who can be developed and potentially sold on for a profit.
Bennette had already represented Costa Rica at youth level and become the youngest-ever player to earn a senior cap for Los Ticos - at the age of 17 years and two months - before he moved to England. He went to the World Cup in November and played in all three of Costa Rica's group games.
At Sunderland, the pacy, direct, winger has been used sparingly. He has yet to start a Championship game, although he has made 15 appearances as a sub, and he wasted little time in making an impact, scoring in only his second outing for the club when he produced a late equaliser to earn Sunderland a 2-2 draw at Watford in September.
Bennette has shown flashes of promise but this has really been a season of adjustment - both on and off the pitch, with Tony Mowbray admitting that the language barrier has been an added complication for the youngster. Bennette suffered a dislocated shoulder while away on international duty in March which ended his season early, but he should be back for pre-season and more will be expected of him next term.
League: 0 (15) 1gl
FA Cup: 1 (2) 1gl
Jack Clarke
Along with Amad, Clarke can be considered one of Sunderland's signings of the season - in his case, joining the club from Spurs for an undisclosed fee on a four-year contract, with the Londoners understood to have a buy-back clause included in the deal. The 22-year-old left-sided wideman had spent the second half of last season on loan with the Black Cats but had only really come to the fore in the play-offs when he was outstanding in the semi-final second leg at Sheffield Wednesday, which booked Sunderland a date at Wembley where they sealed promotion to the Championship.
Clarke joined Sunderland on a full-time basis in July, signing during the club's pre-season training camp in Portugal, and he stood out this term. He played in all-but one league game, and scored nine goals plus another couple in the FA Cup, as well as providing a dozen assists in all competitions.
He struck fear into the hearts of right-backs with his direct running and willingness to take them on. Clarke has developed into one of Sunderland's brightest young talents and there will be no shortage of interest in him this summer with Premier League sides including Crystal Palace, Brentford, and newly-promoted Burnley all reportedly keeping tabs on him.
League: 44 (1) 9gls
FA Cup: 2 (1) 2gls
Play-offs: 2 (0)
Pierre Ekwah
Ekwah joined Sunderland in January from West Ham, with the midfielder having yet to make his senior debut when he arrived on Wearside. The 21-year-old Frenchman had spent time in Chelsea's youth system before moving across London, but the switch to the North East meant a step up to first team level.
He made his debut in the FA Cup fourth round tie at Fulham in January and in his first few games it was clear that he needed time to come to terms with the faster pace of first-team football after having spent his career up to that point playing in the U21s. But as the season wore on, Ekwah got better and better and by run-in had become a key member of the side, turning in a man of the match performance in Sunderland's play-off semi-final first leg win against Luton Town at the Stadium of Light.
He is still only seven starts into his senior career, but the signs are that Sunderland have unearthed another very promising young talent.
League: 5 (10)
FA Cup: 0 (2)
Play-offs: 2 (0)
Joe Gelhardt
Gelhardt joined Sunderland from Leeds United on loan in January to give the Black Cats as an attacking foil for Ross Stewart, and to replace Ellis Simms who had been recalled mid-season by Premier League relegation strugglers Everton. Unfortunately, Stewart picked up a season-ending injury before Gelhardt had even made his debut which meant the pair did not get the chance to play alongside each other.
Instead, with Sunderland failing to add another striker between Stewart's injury and the transfer deadline, Gelhardt was left to lead the line on his own for much of the second half of the season - a role that is clearly not his forte. That said, the 21-year-old former Wigan Athletic man gave his all and, while he only scored three goals, his all-round performances steadily improved as the season wore on and Sunderland entered the play-offs.
The sadness is that Stewart's injury meant Sunderland fans did not get to see Gelhardt play in the role to which he is best-suited.
League: 16 (2) 3gls
Play-offs: 2 (0)
Isaac Lihadji
France U21 international forward Lihadji joined Sunderland from Lille in January on an initial two-and-a-half year deal, and was touted as the long-term replacement for the on-loan Amad. So far, Lihadji has been a peripheral figure on Wearside, with the 21-year-old yet to start a league game albeit he has made half-a-dozen substitute appearances.
He has played less than 80 minutes of senior football in total since moving to England, which makes it difficult to make a proper assessment of his ability. But Tony Mowbray has spoken of him in glowing terms, and he firmly believes that when Lihadji comes to terms with the intensity of English football he will be a real asset next season.
League: 0 (6)
Edouard Michut
Arriving on a season-loan from Paris St-Germain, Michut was brought in to give Sunderland another midfield option. The 20-year-old took time to adapt to the physical demands of training in his early weeks on Wearside, but eventually made his debut from the bench against Blackpool at the Stadium of Light.
Michut's technical ability was there for all to see, and the only question was whether he could deal with the rough-and-tumble of English football. As the season progressed, he proved that he could play in the Championship and quickly became a fan favourite.
From the end of December to mid-April when he picked up a back injury which meant he lost his place for the run-in, Michut was a regular in central midfield and he ended the season having made 24 Championship appearances, split evenly between starts and as a substitute, while his solitary goal in red and white came in a home defeat against Sheffield United in March. The loan deal that brought him to Wearside included an option to make the move permanent this summer, but the club confirmed last month that he would be returning to PSG with Michut later saying that he had been offered a deal by Sunderland but had decided not to accept.
League: 12 (12) 1gl
FA Cup: 3 (0)
Play-offs: 0 (1)
Ellis Simms
Simms joined Sunderland on a season-loan loan deal from Everton last summer as competition and cover for Ross Stewart. He made an immediate impact, scoring two goals on his debut at Bristol City in August to help the Black Cats secure their first win since returning to the Championship, and followed that up a week later with a goal on his home debut in the 2-2 draw against QPR.
Stewart's thigh injury at the end of August left Simms as Sunderland's only fit out-and-out striker, and two games later he suffered a toe injury which kept him out for six weeks and which left Tony Mowbray having to manage without a specialist frontman. Simms added another four goals in November and December before Everton activated the recall clause in his loan agreement to bring him back to Goodison to help with their Premier League fight for survival - although he went on start just two games for the Toffeemen, and score one goal.
From Sunderland's point of view, they missed him badly once he had gone. Right up to the end of the January window, they hoped that Everton would sign another striker and that Simms might be allowed to return to Wearside but it was not to be.
Instead their chosen replacement - Joe Gelhardt - was a different type of player. When Stewart's season was cut short due to injury at the end of January, they needed a player in the Simms mould but instead had to ask Gelhardt to lead the line which meant they did not get the best out of him.
Sunderland still need to add more firepower this summer and Simms is one potential target, although whether Everton would let the 22-year-old go - and, if so, for what fee - is another matter.
League: 14 (3) 7gls
