Sunderland's return to the Championship saw the Black Cats surpass all expectations as they secured a sixth-placed finish and a play-off spot. Tony Mowbray's side missed out on a trip to Wembley after they saw their 2-1 semi-final first leg lead overturned, and they eventually lost out 3-2 on aggregate against Luton Town.
But despite that, Sunderland's first season back in the second tier following their four-year stay in League One will be regarded as a success. The players have now gone their separate ways for their summer breaks, but the planning for next season has been under way for some time at the Academy of Light.
Mowbray had been involved in meetings with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman and head of recruitment Stuart Harvey to work out which areas of the squad needed strengthening over the summer, while plans for pre-season have already been drawn up. Here are some key dates for your diary ahead of the 2023-24 season.
