How Sunderland's recruitment strategy has changed this summer as Black Cats look to break League One stranglehold

This is the Black Cats’ fourth season in the third tier and their attempts to break out of its stranglehold have so far been unsuccessful.

Yet, with a new owner and new recruitment team, Sunderland have taken a different approach this summer.

You only have to look at the list of signings and where they have come from to get an idea of the altered stratey.

In the past, while there have been some exceptions, Sunderland have looked to sign players who have performed well at League One level – predomintely from English clubs.

Back in March, Sunderland’s new sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said the club would scout players across the globe to find the best talent available and, while the majority of signings this summer have come from the UK, the type of player being targeted has changed.

Aside from Corry Evans and Alex Pritchard, the Black Cats have tried to identify younger talent who have predominately been training with elete clubs.

A handful such as Manchester City’s Callum Doyle, 17, West Ham’s Frederik Alves, 21, and Everton’s Nathan Broadhead, 23, have been signed on loan, and there is a feeling they may be able to stay on Wearside longer if they are successful.

Other arrivals include Dennis Cirkin from Tottenham and Niall Huggins from Leeds, who have also come through Premier League academies but have seen their first-team chances blocked at their respective clubs.

But while they may not be ready for the top-flight just yet, they may be ready for League One, and have the potential to become a valuable asset for Sunderland.

The Black Cats saw nine senior players depart at the end of last season after their contracts had run down and, with the expcption of George Dobson, all were over the age of 26.

In theory, Sunderland’s new approach will be more sustainable, and if younger players do attract interest from higher-league clubs there is potential to make a profit.

Still, if their signings do perform well, there is a chance the Black Cats could be a Championship club this time next year.

The success of Sunderland’s new approach will become clearer as the season progresses, and clearly a balance needs to be struck between youth and experience.

Still, the early signs have been promising, with Sunderland winning four of their opening five league games and playing a brand of football which fans have enjoyed.

A lot has also been made of the club’s new data-driven approach, and while several clubs will now look at stats and figures before signing players, the Black Cats’ move into the German market to sign winger Leon Dajaku and goalkeeper Thorben Hoffman is certainly intriguing.

So too was the arrival of Ross Stewart last summer, a player who didn’t have a particularly prolific goal record and was struggling with an injury.

Still, the scottish frontman is quckly becoming a fans’ favourite at the Stadium of Light and looks set to be a key player this campaign.

Sunderland will hope their new approach allows them to finally break free from the clutches of League One.

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