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.
13. Robert Lewandowski
Supposedly, Lewandowski's name was offered forth to Sunderland by European scout Ian Atkins alongside the likes of Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic during the Steven Bruce era. Slight oversight to let all three slip away, you'd have to say... | Getty Images
14. Fernando Llorente
According to reports, Sunderland were interested in the Spain striker before his eventual move to Juventus. Photo: Alessandro Sabattini
15. Samuel Eto'o
The Cameroonian striker was a free agent in 2014, and the word in the gossip columns was that Sunderland were very keen on luring him to the Stadium of Light. | AFP via Getty Images
16. Robbie Keane
Sunderland even went as far as agreeing a fee for Keane in 2002, but evidently couldn't agree personal terms with the Irishman. It's almost more incredible that he never played for the Black Cats, in truth. | Getty Images