And many players seem to have been continuously talked about in regards to a move to Wearside over a number of years without much actually happening.
Which, as we know, is always a massive frustration for passionate fans in the North East.
On our Facebook page, we asked Sunderland fans for the player the Black Cats were constantly linked with but never actually signed.
Here, we take a look at the results:
On our Facebook page, we asked Sunderland fans for the player the Black Cats were constantly linked with but never actually signed.
5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic almost joined Sunderland TWICE before he signed for Juventus but the deals fell through and the striker was linked to Sunderland during the Martin Bain era. Photo: Valerio Pennicino
When Roy Keane was in charge at the Stadium of Light, a £2m bid was considered reportedly considered for the maestro but Sunderland's interest dated back to the Peter Reid era. Photo: Michael Regan
Sunderland were linked with a move for the England international in the early 2000s. Indeed, Don Hutchison took the unusual step of warning Sinclair, his teammate at West Ham, against a move to Sunderland. Photo: Shaun Botterill
The attacker was heavily linked with Sunderland for years. Indeed, N'Zogbia even joined Sunderland on trial and played a game pre-season game against Rotherham but the move didn't happen in the end. Photo: Nigel Roddis