(Credit: Imago / Getty Images)

Ben Palmer

Mon 11 August 2025 18:15, UK

Sunderland have spent a surprising amount this summer after promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs.

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That is according to football finance expert Dan Plumley, who told Football Insider exclusively that the Black Cats need to play catch-up on their promoted partners, Leeds and Burnley.

Sunderland were the underdogs in the 2025 playoff final against Sheffield United, but Tommy Watson’s last kick for his boyhood club before signing for Brighton secured Regis Le Bris’ side a place in the Premier League.

Tommy Watson joined Brighton this summer.

(Credit Imago)

The Black Cats endured back-to-back relegations in 2017 and 2018, and were hampered in their ability to climb due to several horrendous transfers during their time in the Premier League.

Those included the likes of Jack Rodwell [BBC Sport] and one-time record-signing Didier Ndong [Sky Sports], who cost a combined £23.6million, with the Englishman a particular source of frustration for Sunderland as he refused to rip up his contract even after the club dropped down the League One [Sky Sports].

This article contains exclusive comment from Dan Plumley, a football finance expert and senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University.

As a consequence of their troubled recent history and lack of recent Premier League football, Plumley told Football Insider in June that he wasn’t expecting Sunderland to spend heavily this summer.

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But the Black Cats have subverted all expectations by splashing out over £120m [transfermarkt] on the likes of Habib Diarra and Simon Adingra.

Simon Adingra joined Sunderland from Brighton.

Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media

Plumley told Football Insider that whilst he was surprised with their spending, he did not expect the club to suffer the same fate as they did a decade ago, as Sunderland have stabilised financially during their years in the wilderness.

He said: “I don’t think the stakes are as severe this time for a number of reasons.

I didn’t expect them to spend, but they have.

“They’re saying we’ve got to catch up because they’ve also gone up with two clubs that have been in the Premier League more recently.

“The squad cost level of Sunderland versus the rest of the Premier League is off the scale.

I think, in terms of if it doesn’t work and they still get relegated, which happened with Ipswich, and happened with Southampton, and has happened before with other clubs, they’re not in as drastic a position.

“Some of the years they’ve spent outside the Premier League in League One where they’ve had that disastrous fall has enabled them to push a bit of a financial reset.”

Le Bris’ side have added plenty of exciting young talent this summer, but the squad is lacking in Premier League experience.

Speaking to Football Insider exclusively, former England striker Matt Le Tissier tipped Dele Alli for a move to Sunderland.

Dele Alli’s career stats.