Some transfer sagas also dragged on and on over large portions of time whilst some links just wouldn't go away despite little interest from either side.
From Gazza and David Beckham to Jan Koller and Nathan Broadhead, we take a look at the Sunderland rumours, transfer sagas, near misses and forgotten targets that didn't end up happening for whatever reason.
41. Vicente Iborra
In 2017, Iborra said: "At the beginning no one wanted me to leave, then the two clubs began negotiations. Sunderland did everything they could but in the end Sevilla decided they didn’t want to sell me and I’m happy with that." The player ended dup saying with the Spanis club. | Getty Images
42. Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini was on the brink of joining Sunderland for a fee of £8million when Keane was in charge at the Stadium of Light. The deal reportedly fell through over £200,000. Photo: Claudio Villa
43. Giuseppe Rossi
Former Sunderland boss Roy Keane recently detailed how the Black Cats missed out on a transfer swoop for a highly-rated striker during his time at the club. | Manchester United via Getty Imag
44. Ivan Rakitic
Former Sunderland scout Ian Atkins claimed the Black Cats could have signed the Croatian midfielder for less than £400,000 in compensation from German club Schalke in 2011. Sunderland decided to pass up on the opportunity. Photo: David Ramos