The staggering £900m market values of Championship squads and where Sunderland rank alongside Sheffield United, Stoke City, West Brom & Co

Whilst having the most expensive squad doesn’t necessarily translate to success on the pitch, it is a good indicator of where a team should expect to finish the season.

Sunderland spent four seasons in League One and had one of the most valuable squads in the division for the majority of their time in the third-tier.

This season will be different as Alex Neil has to navigate a season where the Black Cats don’t start as one of the fancied teams - but just how much of an uphill task does he face?

Here, courtesy of data provided by Transfermarkt, we take a look at the squad values of each Championship side to see where Alex Neil’s side rank ahead of their return to the second-flight.

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