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.
