Transfer rumours - they make the world go around. Day after day, week after week, we see Sunderland and their rivals linked with all manner of swoops and raids for players from across the globe.
At this point, the whole process is fairly mundane; Fabrizio Romano pulls out his Google Pixel, fires off a tweet or two, and within moments the entire footballing world is swarming around the gossipy morsel like sharks around a chum bucket.
Every now and again, however, you will see a piece of speculation that genuinely stops you in your tracks and makes you do a double take. Indeed, it happened on Wearside a few days ago, when Ed Aarons shared a report suggesting that former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita was in talks with Turkish outfit Istanbul Basaksehir over a proposed transfer from Werder Bremen - and that Sunderland had been in talks with the Guinean international before the English transfer window closed last week.
Aarons goes on to claim that the Black Cats were unable to agree terms with the 29-year-old, scuppering any hopes of a move to the North East. Instead, Sunderland completed deals for midfielders Salis Abdul Samed and Alan Browne this summer, with both deals - while impressive - feeling decidedly more realistic.
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Keita has been in Germany since last July, when he completed a free transfer from Liverpool. He has, however, been plagued by injury and suspension, and registered just five appearances for Bremen last term. During his time at Anfield, Keita won both Premier League and Champions League titles with Liverpool, as well as lifting the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and Club World Cup.
But this unexpected link with Sunderland got us thinking about other strange transfer stories that the Black Cats have been drawn into over the years - the players who would have felt like outlandish coups had they signed for the club, and those who came within a whisker of arriving on Wearside who have since gone on to become world-beaters.
With that in mind, we took to social media to ask Echo readers which rumours still leave them a little dumbfounded, and here are 21 of the most eye-catching names they put forward. Check out our gallery below.
1. Diego Maradona
Let's start with the biggest one of them all. According to Maradona's very own biographer, Sunderland were the first European side to show an interest in the legendary Argentine - and what's more Diego was interested too. The diminutive playmaker is quoted as saying, 'If they don't sell me to Sunderland, I'm retiring'. Needless to say, neither thing happened. | Getty Images
2. Virgil van Dijk
One of the greatest defenders of his generation, Van Dijk was very nearly a Sunderland player. The Black Cats reportedly had a deal in place to sign the Dutchman from Celtic in 2015, only for Ellis Short to pull the plug. The rest, as they say, is history. | Getty Images
3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Yes, we all know about the Netflix moment, but long before then, Peter Reid supposedly tried to sign the cocky Swede not once but twice - first from Malmo, and then from Ajax. Instead, he ended up at Juventus. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
4. Ruud van Nistelrooy
Another failed Reid swoop, the Dutchman was said to be very much on Sunderland's radar, but the Black Cats wouldn't stump up the £5 million or so Heerenveen were asking for the then-teenage Van Nistelrooy. | Manchester United via Getty Imag