The Black Cats mean business

The Black Cats mean business

The Black Cats mean business

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By Amy Eustace, writing from Dublin.

The summer of 2011, now nearing its close, will be remembered for many things; Joey Barton losing (or perhaps finding) his marbles on Twitter, Everton failing to make a single signing, André Villas-Boas perplexing English journalists and commentators (it’s Veelash-Bowash, apparently), and last but certainly not least, the sudden spurt in clubs that, though exactly traditional super-powers of the sport, are flexing some serious muscle in the transfer market. With the likes of Malaga and Paris Saint-Germain making the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City look like peasants, it’s a time for the little guy to dream a bit bigger. When Javier Pastore snubs the likes  of Chelsea for a somewhat surprising, £36.5 million move to Leonardo-led PSG, who last year finished fourth in Ligue 1, you have to admit: this summer, it’s not always been the usual suspects.

The north of England has not really seen football fairytales on the scale Paris and Andalusia have this summer, but there is one club making ripples - if not waves. Instead of London, Manchester or indeed Merseyside, Premier League transfer business has had an unusual focus; Wearside, where Steve Bruce’s Sunderland have sunk their teeth into the market with impressive, but erudite, eagerness.  No, they haven’t reached Sheikh standards, nor have they signed any Argentinean prodigies. In fact, they haven’t made a signing worth more than £8 million pounds. So why the fuss, eh?

In January, it looked as if Sunderland were on the slide, having lost Darren Bent to Aston Villa. But the £18 million the club pocketed in the deal that saw Bent swap the River Wear for the bright lights of er…Birmingham would not be put to waste. Losing English starlet Jordan Henderson to a rejuvenated Liverpool early in the summer was another unwelcome blow to Black Cats supporters, but for the slightly inflated price of £16 million, club chairman and former Sunderland player Niall Quinn wasn’t exactly sweating over replacing the Four Lions midfielder. Unbeknownst to those who had their binoculars on Eastlands and the Emirates as opposed to the Stadium of Light, plans for a busy transfer window were a-brewing at Sunderland.

Perhaps it shouldn’t have been such a surprise. After all, under the ownership of Texan businessman Ellis Short, Sunderland had already demonstrated their transfer clout with the signing of Ghanaian striker, Asamoah Gyan, for a club record £13.2 million in the summer of 2010. Gyan would go onto score ten goals the following season, while striking up a reputation as a smooth mover. And if the words ‘Texan businessman’ and 'ownership’ sound off alarm bells, don’t fear. Unlike the ill-fated Hicks and Gillett experiment at Anfield, wages at the Stadium of Light are generally maintained at reasonable levels.  Sunderland’s progress since Short’s takeover in 2009 has been steady and gradual.

This summer has been one of much activity for Quinn, the ex-Ireland captain charged with overseeing the running of his former club. With Jordan Henderson the only major exit, nine new additions have come in his place, for a net-spend of only £7.7 million (and that’s not including money from Darren Bent’s departure). Premiers League old-hand John O'Shea arrived from Manchester United for a bargainous £4.5 million fee, and was joined by old teammate Wes Brown for a meagre £1.2 million. David Vaughan was rescued from the Championship chop with Blackpool on a free transfer, as was Birmingham’s Sebastian Larsson, with Larsson’s fellow Brummie Craig Gardner joining for £6 million.

Also on Sunderland’s long list of signings are Korean striker Ji Dong-Won, and Egyptian Ahmed Elmohamady  - secured on a permanent deal after he had impressed on loan. Finally, and perhaps most excitingly for fans of the Northern club, Sunderland struck a deal with Ipswich Town to sign Connor Wickham - the highly rated English youth international - for £8 million, fending off interest from a number of more flashy Premier League suitors. 

And if you thought the work stops there, think again. Sunderland have just announced a partnership agreement with Ghanaian side Asante Kotoko - no doubt in the hope of unearthing another Gyan or two - and look set to sign Derry City’s impressive young winger James McClean. McClean gave an excellent account of himself at the recent Dublin Super Cup, and this week declared for the Republic of Ireland (over his native Northern Ireland), where he’ll join soon-to-be teammates John O'Shea and Keiren Westwood - once he’s deemed worthy of a call-up, that is.

All in all, not bad for one summer’s work.

Given their recent dealings, it would be difficult to predict anything other than a very respectable finish for Sunderland, certainly in the top half of the table this coming season. Their sights are firmly set on Europe, and a place in the lower echelons of European qualification is definitely not beyond Steve Bruce’s new-look side. Still, supporters would be ill-advised to get too carried away - after all, not that long ago they dwelled in the Championship, and the wounds left behind from a severe butt-kicking at the hands of nearest rivals Newcastle last season remain tender. But with the neighbours over on Tyneside enduring a rather painful summer (and that’s putting it mildly), the board’s work so far might just help to ease the pain. This year, the Black Cats mean business.