Attention is also turning to a vitally important January window, as Sunderland look to cement their play-off place under new head coach Michael Beale. It has been an unusual first half of the campaign, with the Black Cats doing well to maintain their form despite the loss of Amad and Ross Stewart. And yet there has also been an inconsistency that has led to some bitterly disappointing results and big missed opportunities.
The underlying data suggests Sunderland are one of the strongest teams in the division, and yet they haven’t always found it easy to turn that into results and particularly against struggling sides. So how do the decisions taken by the club and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman now stand up to scrutiny? And what does it tell us about what as to happen next? We take a closer look, deal by deal...
13. ISAAC LIHADJI (OUT, AL-DUHAIL SC)
This was a deal that nobody had seen coming at the start of the summer transfer window but that in the end, proved to be too good for anyone to turn down. Lihadji had arrived in January with the hope that he might be able to help replace Amad this season. Whether he was ready to do that was hard for anyone really to gauge, behind the scenes players and staff alike were impressed with his ability but we hadn’t yet seen that transfer onto the pitch. The early stages of pre-season followed a similar pattern. Perhaps Lihadji would very much have come good, but the chance to bank a significant profit made sense when it emerged. Sunderland could potentially earn over £2 million from this sale, which represented solid value six months after his arrival. 8/10 Photo: Martin Swinney
14. MASON BURSTOW (IN, CHELSEA)
A deal that so far hasn't worked out as hoped. Hard to be too critical of Burstow, who didn't have much senior experience when he arrived and who hasn't always looked a neat fit for Sunderland's passing style - the striker often looking to try and make early runs in behind but finding the pass rarely comes. From a Sunderland perspective it hasn't worked out, given that he is on loan there was clearly an expectation that he could impact the team in the here and now. While his early performances did help the team win games, he has struggled for game time of late even as Sunderland's goalscoring issues persisted. Given the conviction with which Speakman spoke of his readiness to impact the team when signing him, it has to go down as a miss. 3/10 Photo: Frank Reid
15. NAZARIY RUSYN (IN, ZORYA LUHANSK)
Rusyn ended the long wait for a goal from a striker against Preston and is now set for a run in the side as he looks to make the position his own. Rusyn represented a significant investment by the club and thus far it hasn't quite worked out, though some struggles as he adjusted to the language and such a significant change in circumstance were always likely. What he does have is a real athleticism and work ethic, which gives him a big chance of earning the affection of the Sunderland support. 6/10 Photo: Frank Reid
16. TIMOTHÉE PEMBÉLÉ (IN, PSG)
Sunderland signed Pembele knowing it would take him a while to get up to full fitness and while still early days, it looks a canny addition. He clearly has pace and skill breaking forward and in his brief cameos, physically he's looked more than capable of coping with the challenges of defending in the Championship. Needs more games to make a fuller judgement but it looks like the Black Cats have found a bit of a gem. 6.5/10 Photo: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT