As the old saying goes, a week is a long time in football. So imagine what can happen in five years.
Cast your minds back five years ago and Sunderland were in the middle of a disastrous Championship campaign - one that would ultimately end up in relegation to League One.
Owners, managers and players have changed at the Stadium of Light since then as Sunderland, with Tony Mowbray in charge, now look up the Championship table, rather than over their shoulders like they did in that fateful campaign.
But what could life look like on Wearside five years from now? To gauge this, we’ve taken to Football Manager 23 to see what they believe is in store for the Black Cats at the end of the 2026/27 season.
Here, we take a look at what Sunderland’s team in five years time could look like - according to Football Manager 23.
1. GK: Matt Ingram
Sunderland signed the Hull City keeper for just £60k in January 2026 after Anthony Patterson was sold to Rotherham United. Photo: Clive Brunskill
2. RWB: Anthony Ralston
After six years in Scotland with Celtic, Ralston joined Sunderland on a free transfer and played all but three of their league games as a right wing back as Sunderland secured a 17th place finish. Photo: Jeremy Ng
3. CB: Teden Mengi
The Manchester United youngster joined Sunderland on a free transfer in 2026 after loan moves to the Championship with Burnley, Reading and Luton Town. Photo: Ash Donelon
4. CB: Dan Ballard
Ballard is one of the few survivors at Sunderland over the five years. He racked up almost 200 appearances for the club and stuck with them even after a brief return to League One. Photo: Frank Reid