The players that Sunderland almost signedThe players that Sunderland almost signed
The players that Sunderland almost signed

The Sunderland AFC XI that almost was - can you remember these players who nearly joined the Black Cats?

Oh, what could have been...

Sunderland have come agonisingly close to sealing some big-name signatures over the years, with a host of world class talent linked with the Stadium of Light.

From England internationals to stars who ended up becoming major global names, a number of players have been touted as potential arrivals in Wearside over recent decades – especially during the club’s Premier League days.

Whether fact or fiction, it’s certainly interesting to think what may have been had the rumours turned out to be true!

So just for fun, we’ve taken a look back over the last few decades and assembled an XI of the best players who almost signed for the Black Cats - and there’s some big names in there!

How many of these players can you remember being linked with Sunderland, and which of them would you liked to have seen arrive on Wearside? Let us know by tweeting us @sunechosafc.