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It had been a long road back to the promised land of top flight football and an overhauled squad managed to propel the Black Cats to Europa League qualification, in what was the standout story of last term. Potential trips to Italian giants AC Milan or Juventus await them, while the Stadium of Light will remain just as integral when negotiating Thursday night football alongside domestic competitions. Having more players than Liverpool and Real Madrid at the World Cup across the pond truly underlined the club’s remarkable rise. Without significant recruitment under Regis Le Bris this summer, Sunderland are still bidding to climb higher and relish what will be a demanding but equally exciting journey. 2025/26 Season Recap Sunderland went into the 2025/26 Premier League campaign as heavy favourites for relegation after securing promotion via the play-offs. With 14 new signings brought in over the summer, survival was the main target. However, the Black Cats did not just survive, they also secured a spot in the Europa League on the final day, finishing seventh, their highest finish since the 1999-2000 season under Peter Reid. After nine games, Sunderland found themselves second in the table following their victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge courtesy of a late winner by Chemsdine Talbi. Le Bris’ side also completed the double over arch-rivals Newcastle United, extending their league run to 11 games unbeaten. Nick Woltemade’s bizarre own-goal sealed the victory at the Stadium of Light, before Brian Brobbey’s late winner sent around 2,500 travelling Mackems wild at St James’ Park. The Stadium of Light was a fortress for the Black Cats. Liverpool were the first team to take three points in their 1-0 win in February, ending a 12-game unbeaten run in the league on home soil. Despite a dip in form and a 5-0 thrashing from Nottingham Forest, Sunderland bounced back to secure a European place with victories over Everton and Chelsea. Written by Blake Burns Transfer Activity Sunderland’s recent business has simply been unrecognisable from last summer’s spending spree. They have fallen into a state of inertia in the recruitment department thus far, despite the imminent tall order of juggling domestic and continental football. Financial compliance is one reason, while the inflated prices of the transfer market do no favours to clubs like Sunderland. A silver lining is that the outlay from last summer will not appear on their accounts all at once, with fees and player wages amortised. This is especially pertinent for those players handed longer contracts. It remains hard to rule them out from spending a single penny on incomings before the September 1 deadline to crucially add to the free acquisition from Lille of experienced defender Thomas Meunier. Other players have left the club in search of regular minutes and to raise funds. Anthony Patterson’s permanent move to Wrexham was sanctioned, following his loan spell at fellow Championship side Millwall. Eliezer Mayenda ultimately fell down the pecking order and the youngster’s move to Rennes in the region of £20 million seems best for both parties. Defender Lutsharel Geetruida returned to his parent club RB Leipzig and Arthur Masuaku joined Turkish top division side Konyaspor. Therefore, recruiting cover to Reinildo should be one of the key assignments. The club did address this by agreeing a deal in excess of £25 million for 20-year-old Toulouse left-back Dayann Methalie. Albeit, this is in danger of collapsing after the Frenchman failed part of his medical. Monaco’s budget to invest received a hammer blow after failing to qualify for the Champions League, and Simon Adingra’s £16 million option to buy was opted against. The former Brighton man’s future on Wearside remains uncertain, considering he was initially unable to cement his starting spot out wide. Their best piece of business has arguably already been done by retaining captain and lynchpin Granit Xhaka, preventing a reunion at Chelsea with former boss Xabi Alonso. Written by Sam Bunce Player to Watch - Dan Ballard The man whose header catapulted Sunderland to Wembley, Dan Ballard is very much a known quantity in England. This season, Europe gets its introduction. The centre-back was key as Le Bris’ side defied expectations of what a promoted side could do out of possession last term. He and his teammates were patient without the ball, and more than happy to make their own half uncomfortable and challenging for opponents. It’s that aggression - both in the opposition’s box and his own - that will cause mayhem for less physical European sides when the Black Cats go abroad. With wide strength arriving over the summer in the form of Meunier, Ballard can better focus on what he does best: hold the centre, dominate in the air, starve strikers of chances. Still only 26, knee and hamstring injuries have hampered the Northern Irishman’s development. Having missed 68 games for club and country since arriving on Wearside in June 2022, he will be cautious of the Europa League’s added Thursday-night workload. And yet, spells sidelined have never kept the defender away from producing big moments; he will relish a floodlit night on the continent like no other. Written by Dylan Seymour Strongest XI Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Hume; Xhaka, Sadiki, Le Fée; Talbi, Brobbey, Angulo. Robin Roefs will keep his undisputed spot in goal for Sunderland, after starting 35 games last season and registering an impressive 10 clean sheets for the Black Cats. The back four picks itself. Nordi Mukiele was monumental last season and was a big part of the team in that last push to European qualification. Ballard has to make the team, and after an outstanding World Cup run with Paraguay, Omar Alderete takes the other centre-back place. Trai Hume played the most games for Sunderland last season, and the Northern Irishman should keep his place come 22nd August, while Reinildo’s spot at left-back is largely uncontested at this stage after Arthur Masuaku’s departure. Xhaka and Noah Sadiki are the obvious choices for the double pivot. Captain Xhaka eventually pledged his allegiance to the Black Cats for another season, and Sadiki starred in a strong DR Congo team during the World Cup. They will most likely have Enzo Le Fée ahead of them in the number 10 role. On the wings are Talbi and Nilson Angulo. Talbi does not have any competition for his role off the right; however, Chris Rigg may be unfortunate to step aside for Angulo. Rigg deserves more minutes, and the local winger will get them. But, with the Ecuadorian Angulo, he needs the chance to show his quality that earned him the move from Anderlecht. Brobbey finishes off the attack. The Dutchman’s physical presence and the way he occupies defenders makes him a constant threat and a nuisance to fend off. His late winner against arch-rivals Newcastle proves that he can be a match winner with limited chances at goal. Written by Dominic Ilderton From Back to Front: Le Bris Style of Play The Black Cats averaged the fifth-lowest possession in the Premier League last season, with 44.9%, and only the three relegated sides and Everton recorded less possession. However, with pace on the counter-attack and a strong defensive unit, possession does not necessarily matter. Talbi and Wilson Isidor were vital in driving Sunderland forwards last season, leading to goalscoring opportunities. Sunderland also sat third bottom for total attempts and shots on target. With only one signing through the door and European football to come, that is not expected to change anytime soon. Le Bris likes to play out from the back, causing the opposition to be drawn in and leading to more attacking opportunities. The Frenchman opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation with Xhaka in front of the back four and Sadiki given the licence to roam further upfield. Both full-backs like to overlap. With Mukiele and Hume both on the right, one tends to drift inside, while the other makes the run in-behind to help fashion openings in the final third. Written by Blake Burns Season Expectations Sunderland were tipped to go down, but have instead qualified for the Europa League, their first time in Europe since 1973. The Black Cats can expect to have a real go in the competition. The last two winners of the competition were English clubs: Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. The Premier League is the most rich and competitive league, and non-big six clubs like Sunderland should still go up against almost anyone in the Europa League and dominate. A run deep into the latter stages of the tournament will be on the cards for Le Bris’ men, but with any new club that ascends to European heights, their Premier League form may suffer a costly blow. We’ve seen it time and time again through the previous exploits of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest. Their squads were often not big enough to handle the schedule of playing in excess of 50 matches across all competitions. Sunderland’s lack of transfer activity this summer is alarming. The splashing of cash from the bigger Premier League sides this transfer window means Le Bris’ squad is now lagging further behind. Their financial constraints and failing to address this could see the Black Cats slip further down the Premier League table than most expect. The club will try to achieve a high finish on both fronts; however, that task may prove to be too difficult for a thin squad with little reinforcements, and injuries will most likely become the main talking point this season. Written by Dominic Ilderton