Sunderland face a massive summer with up to 21 departures and over 10 signings needed – buckle up...

Everyone loves a good transfer rumour. They make the football world go around, drive traffic, sell papers and light up WhatsApp chats. But I’ll be honest – I already have transfer fatigue and Sunderland haven’t signed a player yet!

That’s not a dig, by the way. It’s just the reality of the modern window – a relentless swirl of names, agents, Fabrizio Romano tweets, sources “close to the deal”, and four or five fresh links every single day. A few of them will be real. Some will be tenuous. Most will vanish into the transfer bin by mid-July. All have to be reported on.

(Timely plug, wink face...) The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

But behind the noise, there’s a serious point: this could be the most chaotic, unpredictable and high-stakes summer Sunderland have experienced in a long time. Let’s talk numbers. Right now, there are around 36 first-team players on the books. From that group, 15 are likely to stay. The rest? Loans, sales and development pathways. That leaves 21 players potentially exiting – either temporarily or permanently. That’s not just tinkering. That’s close to a full-blown clear-out.

The result? Régis Le Bris could welcome 10 to 13 new signings to rebuild the squad. And yes, that includes depth. But also: starters. Game-changers. Top-level operators capable of helping Sunderland survive – and hopefully thrive – in the Premier League. It’s a huge challenge, especially for a head coach who hasn’t managed in England’s top-flight yet. Continuity is usually a manager’s best friend. Le Bris? He might not even know half his squad by the time August rolls around.

There is, however, a spine. A core group of 15 or so players who Le Bris can likely lean on – names like Anthony Patterson, Dan Ballard, Patrick Roberts, Dennis Cirkin, Chris Rigg, Eli Mayenda and Wilson Isidor et al. And if Pierre Ekwah, Abdoullah Ba, Adil Aouchiche and others depart as expected, it opens the door – financially and tactically – for the next evolution of this team.

And let’s not forget: this squad churn comes on the back of two huge transfer stories. Jobe Bellingham has joined Borussia Dortmund. Tommy Watson has gone to Brighton. That’s over £40million banked before the real chaos has even started. But it also means big holes to fill – and expectation to manage. That’s before we even get into the contract situations that are quietly bubbling under the surface. There will be drama, no doubt. Le Bris and Kristjaan Speakman will need to stay calm and calculated, but fans should probably prepare for a few twists along the way.

So yes, buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. A summer of flux, churn and possibly, at some stages, panic amongst supporters – but also one full of opportunity and excitement. Sunderland are back in the Premier League, and what happens between now and deadline day might define whether they stay there. Like yours, my head is already spinning with the sheer volume of it all – but let’s be honest, we’re all secretly loving it too. Oh, and we’ve got the small matter of pre-season starting in just over a week. Where has the summer gone?

Your next Sunderland read: Régis Le Bris handed blow as national publication makes Sunderland coaching claim - reports