Having spent eight seasons out of the Premier League after being out of the top flight, Sunderland returned all guns blazing to put paid to early relegation worry. The team has already invested €153 million this window, thus becoming the second-promoted team to spend the highest amount in league history. Currently, only topped by Nottingham Forest from their 2022/23 season, who spent €155.2 million. At this point, that record is set to be broken as this window isn't closed yet until August 31.
Confirmed signings
His new capture was revealed on last Tuesday. Signed from Spain club Getafe, with which he spent the preceding three seasons, was 28-year-old Paraguayan centre-back Omar Alderete. Sunderland’s tenth signing this transfer season, he is. Others who have sealed their deals this term are Habib Diarra, Simon Adingra, Enzo Le Fée, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandava, Robin Roefs, Xhaka and Arthur Masuaku.
Their return to Premiership action has reaped an estimated €220 million prize money, TV income and sponsorship arrangements. It has allowed much room within which to lavish cash on signing a squad good enough to compete on the top level. Leeds and Burnley prospered similarly with Sunderland and are following a like course, albeit within tighter budgets. Burnley, for example, are fourth highest spenders from promoting clubs with a €125.7 million expenditure.
Historical analogy as per Transfermarkt, top 10 investments from promoted Premier League clubs is led by Nottingham Forest in 2022/23 with €155.2 million, then Sunderland in 2025/26 with €153 million. Then comes Aston Villa in 2019/20 with €148.6 million, Burnley in 2025/26 with €125.7 million, and Ipswich in 2024/25 with €125 million. Top 10 is then led by Southampton, Fulham, Burnley, Wolverhampton and Leeds.
Immediate challenge
To introduce a gigantic group of players is more than a sequence of individual good decisions. Sunderland have to turn that gigantic disparate group of players into one, playing squad, in one night. The season is grueling, and opening encounters tend to set that equation for teams that do not want to be relegated.
With that massively-overhauled team and plenty of money, Sunderland has one sole unarguable ambition, staying in the Premier League. How far they succeed in that will be a matter of how soon that team jells once out on that first-round pitch.