Sunderland had a fairly busy January transfer window with eye-catching deals for Jermain Defoe – who has since retired – and Patrick Roberts secured in the final days of the month.
However, the end of the window was dominated by the departure of Lee Johnson following his side’s 6-0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers.
Alex Neil was the man selected to take charge of the Black Cats and they are currently battling for a play-off place in the third tier.
For Sunderland, another season in League One would be a disastrous result, especially considering the strength of their squad.
To illustrate this, using data from Transfermarkt, we have ranked each League One side from who has the least valuable squad, to the side that has the most valuable squad - including each team’s Most Valuable Player (excluding loanees):
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1. Accrington Stanley
Total squad value: £1.85million - Average value per player: £66,000 - Most Valuable Player: Ethan Hamilton (£270,000) Photo: Jacques Feeney
2. Cambridge United
Total squad value: £1.85million - Average value per player: £71,000 - Most Valuable Player: Wes Hoolahan (£270,000) Photo: Pete Norton
3. AFC Wimbledon
Total squad value: £2.61million - Average value per player: £84,000 - Most Valuable Player: Ben Heneghan (£360,000) Photo: Pete Norton
4. Morecambe
Total squad value: £3.62million - Average value per player: £129,000 - Most Valuable Player: Toumani Diagouraga (£360,000) Photo: Richard Heathcote