Where Sunderland AFC rank in the Championship's most high value teams | OneFootball

After winning promotion from League One via the play-offs in 2022, Sunderland enjoyed a successful 2022/23 Championship campaign in which they landed a top-six spot at the first time of asking.

The Black Cats did well to secure a second tier play-off place last term but lost out to eventual play-off final winners Luton Town in the semi-final stages with a 2-0 defeat at Kenilworth Road in the second leg.

Following the lofty heights of last season, expectations were high in the North East ahead of the current campaign, but the Mackems appear unlikely to land a top-six place for the second consecutive campaign.

However, the future could still be bright at the Stadium of Light as the Black Cats boast a squad full of promising youngsters, such as 18-year-old Jobe Bellingham and winger Jack Clarke.

The Black Cats squad has a high market value

Due to the high concentration of young players with high potential at the Stadium of Light, the market value of the Black Cats squad is high, while their most prized assets, such as Clarke, have been linked with moves away from the club.

Premier League side West Ham have been credited with interest in Clarke's services, while teenage duo Chris Rigg and Bellingham have both been linked with moves to fierce rivals Newcastle United.

The Mail have credited the Magpies with interest in Bellingham, while Chronicle Live have reported that the Black Cats' neighbours are scouting Rigg.

Although the Stadium of Light faithful will not be best pleased that two of their finest assets have been linked with moves to their club's arch rivals, such transfer interest demonstrates the value among their ranks.

According to TransferMarkt, only four Championship sides have a squad with a higher market value than that of the Black Cats, and three of those sides are Leicester City, Leeds United, and Southampton, who were all relegated from the Premier League last season.

The Black Cats squad has a market value of €82.60m, which may be the fifth highest in the Championship, but is a figure virtually dwarfed by the €211.00m of the Foxes, who boast the league's highest value squad.

The squad market value of the Whites and the Saints stand at €204.70m and €189.90m respectively, both figures that are significantly greater than that of the Black Cats, which once again shows the gap between clubs who have recently been relegated from the Premier League and the rest of the league.

Hull City also boast a squad with a higher market value than the Black Cats, which shouldn't come as too much of a surprise given the high-profile signings made by the Tigers under the ownership of Acun Ilıcalı.

The value of the Tigers squad stands at €104.80m, and is the highest market value in the Championship for a club who did not compete in the 2022/23 Premier League season.

Meanwhile, as per Transfermarkt, Rotherham United, who were promoted to the Championship alongside the Black Cats in 2022, have the squad with the lowest market value in the Championship.

The Black Cats squad has the lowest average age in the Championship

Data from Transfermarkt shows that with an average squad age of just 22.6 years old, the Black Cats have the lowest average age of any Championship squad.

Plymouth Argyle have the second-youngest squad in the second tier with an average squad age of 23.7, whereas play-off contenders West Brom have the oldest squad in the league with an average age of 27.6.

Due to the youthfulness of the Black Cats' squad, it is no surprise that they boast one of the highest market values in the Championship, and it means that the club could enjoy an exciting future.

Goalkeeper Anthony Patterson has a market value of €10.00m according to Transfermarkt, while Clarke is the club's highest valued player with a market value of €15.00m.

The downside of having a squad blossoming with so much potential is that transfer interest in the Black Cats' young talent appears inevitable and the upcoming summer transfer window could prove tricky to navigate.