Sunderland’s return to the Championship - and the increased revenue that comes with it - means that there will likely be additions to Alex Neil’s squad over the summer window.
However, as with all Championship clubs, the Black Cats will have to be wary of Financial Fair Play and ensure they don’t overspend compared to their revenue.
FFP is a concern for all clubs, but how does Sunderland’s net spend on transfers over the past five seasons compare with the rest of the division?
Here, using data provided by Transfermarkt, we rank every 2022/23 Championship club by their net transfer spend over the past five seasons, from the sides that have spent the most, to the clubs that have made the most money from transfers in that time.
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1. Sheffield United (-£94,580,000)
Total net spend = (-£94.58m), biggest net spend = 2019/20 (-£63.14m), smallest net spend = 2021/22 (+£24.93m), record signing in past five years = Rhian Brewster (£23.4m) Photo: George Wood
2. Cardiff City (-£49,730,000)
Total net spend = (-£49.73m), biggest net spend = 2018/19 (-£46.08m), smallest net spend = 2021/22 (+£4.68m), record signing in past five years = Emiliano Sala (£15.3m) Photo: NICOLAS TUCAT
3. Stoke City (-£44,600,000)
Total net spend = (-£44.60m), biggest net spend = 2018/19 (-£29.48m), smallest net spend = 2021/22 (+£10.35m), record signing in past five years = Kevin Wimmer (£17.46m) Photo: Gareth Copley
4. West Brom (-£41,280,000)
Total net spend = (-£41.28m), biggest net spend = 2017/18 (-£46.31m), smallest net spend = 2019/20 (+£14.91m), record signing in past five years = Karlan Grant (£14.85m) Photo: George Wood