Sunderland have come such a long way since £13.6m transfer disaster | OneFootball

Highlights

Sunderland’s demise to League One was built off the back of several major blunders in the transfer market.

The Black Cats had managed over a decade in the Premier League, but were hanging on year after year to survive in the top flight.

No one embodied just how poorly run the Wearside outfit had become better than Didier Ndong.

The Gabon international signed for Sunderland in the summer of 2016 following the appointment of David Moyes as manager.

He arrived in a deal worth a reported £13.6 million, but ultimately had his contract terminated within two years after failing to deliver the performances expected of him.

Sunderland were preparing for life in League One by then, having suffered back-to-back relegations.

How did it get so bad for Sunderland?

Years of mismanagement caught up with the club, with high profile names signed on big wages failing to deliver the goods.

The likes of Jack Rodwell and Rickey Alvarez dragged the club through the dirt as Sunderland became a laughing stock among neutral observers.

Being the face of Netflix’s documentary series Sunderland Till I Die only highlighted a number of the problems behind the scenes at the Stadium of Light, and weakened their reputation further.

Two seasons of play-off heartbreak in League One, as well as a disappointing eighth place finish, saw Sunderland reach rock bottom.

But new ownership and recruitment strategy at the club has seen them turn things around in an impressive style over the last couple of years.

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman deserves a lot of credit for overseeing the smooth running of things at the Stadium of Light.

There is now an overall vision that clearly runs through the entire running of the team, which has given the club an identity it was sorely lacking in recent years.

The signing of young talent for low fees is working like a charm, with promotion to the Championship already secured.

Promotion to the Premier League also looks a distinct possibility, with Tony Mowbray also doing a great job managing this young and talented squad.

Can Sunderland gain promotion to the Premier League?

The likes of Jack Clarke, Daniel Ballard and Jobe Bellingham all embody what makes this Sunderland team now work.

A lot of people had written off Clarke after loan stints from Tottenham hadn’t quite worked out.

Taking the step down to League One felt like a huge blow for his development, but the move to Sunderland has completely revived his career.

Ballard has taken a step forward in his progress and has the potential to compete in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Bellingham is still only 18 but could earn Sunderland a huge fee and justify the slightly bigger price tag paid to sign him last summer from Birmingham City.

And this is just a few of the many successful arrivals at Sunderland in the last couple of years.

Trai Hume, Abdoullah Ba and Niall Huggins have all proven great additions and there are others who could also become something special if they hit their potential.

Luis Hemir and Nectarios Triantis are examples of low risk signings that haven't quite worked out just yet but could come good over time, and they are the types of left-field arrivals that could really pay off in the long-run.

All the while, the team continues to pick up positive results with good football.

It is an exciting time to be a Sunderland supporter again, showing how quickly things can change in football.

There is no reason why the Black Cats can’t earn another top six finish again this season, and perhaps this time they’ll have enough to get over the line.