With the 2026 World Cup done and dusted, the return of club football is back on everyone's minds.
Pre-season preparations are under way and we want you to have a think about Sunderland's squad.
Tell us one player you would like to move on this summer and one realistic target you want the Black Cats to bring in before the transfer window shuts.
Image source, Getty ImagesThirty-four years ago a £13m transfer caused national outrage in Italy.
When AC Milan signed Gianluigi Lentini from Torino in 1992 for a then world record fee, newspapers called the deal "obscene", while the Vatican's official newspaper described it as "an offence against the dignity of work".
Today that fee would barely register among the Premier League's biggest transfers.
This summer alone Chelsea have agreed a club record £117m deal for Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest £116m for Elliot Anderson, and Tottenham spent a club record £100m on Sandro Tonali.
These are not the only major deals. Tottenham also agreed an £85m move for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, Barcelona paid £69m to sign Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United, and Manchester United spent £50m on Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos.
It is the first transfer window in Premier League history to produce three £100m-plus signings - and there are still weeks to go before deadline day on 1 September.
During the 2025 summer window English top-flight clubs spent a record £3bn.
So why are transfer fees continuing to climb? Why are clubs paying record sums for players already playing in England? And why are more clubs willing to sell some of their biggest stars?
Read more here on the big spending taking place in the Premier League
Image source, Getty ImagesRegis le Bris has stressed the importance of building "a squad ready for both competitions" as his Sunderland side prepare for their first European campaign since 1973 in only their second season back in the Premier League.
The Black Cats opened their pre-season with a dominant 5-1 victory over National League side York City, with Enzo Le Fee scoring twice and further goals from Chris Rigg, Timur Tutierov and Tom Proctor.
"It's important to build a squad ready for both competitions," Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes after the game at the LNER Community Stadium.
"First of all, the Premier League is going to be our main target as usual, and after that it's important to strengthen the group with two or three, four maybe, core players I would say to strengthen the foundations.
"And after that, we need a full group of almost 20 to be able to manage every competition."
Despite 11 members of the Sunderland squad still being on holiday after featuring at the World Cup, 23 Black Cats players still featured in Saturday's game, with Le Bris changing his entire side at half-time before Leo Hjelde was forced off through injury during the second half and replaced by academy youngster Ben Kindon.
"We'll go through this pre-season with different issues and dynamics to manage. We don't want to rush the the game time for our players. It was the good timing today from 11, the first 11, and then the young lads came in during the second half.
"And for the players who experienced the World Club, we'll have to build the first layers without this game time at the beginning, or at least with a short game time."
Listen to the full chat below or on BBC Sounds here
Image source, Getty ImagesRegis le Bris praised Sunderland's disciplined start to pre-season after a 5-1 victory over York City.
Enzo Le Fée scored twice and further goals came from Chris Rigg, Timur Tutierov and Tom Proctor.
The game looked to be good preparation for the Black Cats' 12-day tour of the United States next week, where they will face Liverpool, Leeds United and Wrexham.
Speaking post-match, Le Bris said: "We gave 45 minutes to each team who have been connected with the training workflow.
"It is important to experience game situations, and to be fair, York played good football this afternoon.
"They tested our defensive structure, and in the first half we were able to score four goals, so it was good.
"We will go through this pre-season with different issues and dynamics to manage. We don't want to rush the game time for our players.
"For the players who experienced the World Cup, we will have to build the first layers without much game time at the beginning, with only short periods on the pitch.
"When we face Lens and Rennes, I hope we have the full squad available.
"It is important to build a squad ready for both competitions.
"The Premier League will be our main target, so it is important to strengthen the group with three or four core players.
"We need to strengthen the foundations and, after that, we will need a full group to manage the demands."
Image source, Getty ImagesWith pre-season officially in full swing, we asked you to tell us what you're looking forward to about club football returning.
Here are some of your replies:
Stephen: I'm waiting to see what impact the World Cup has had on our players that took part. We are facing a challenging season ahead and a summer break would have been great for all of our players to recharge, both physically and mentally. We have a limited squad so we're going to have to rely repeatedly on the same players. We cannot afford the burnout of certain players.
Trevor: I'm looking forward to the Europa League draw and hopefully another fantastic season in the Premier League.
Davey: I'm looking forward to European football. I was only two years old the last time we were there, so I'm excited for some trips around Europe.
Lesley: I'm really looking forward to the sleepless nights and constant anxiety until we get to a point in the season where we are definitely not going to be relegated. That's Mackem life!
Denise: The main thing is we have been able to keep hold of our key players. If that hadn't been the case, we would have been having a completely different conversation. We do need additions to our squad to cope with the campaign ahead - an out-and-out goalscorer would be wonderful, but any quality addition would be great.
French football expert Baptiste Reynaud has told Total Sport all about new Black Cats signing of Thomas Meunier.
The 34-year-old defender has joined on a two-year deal, having been a free agent following his departure from Lille.
Reynaud said: "I think he's a great signing when you consider he is a free transfer. His experience and versatility makes for a good signing. It's a low risk investment.
"He has said he's still ambitious and wants to join an ambitious club. He said he wants to play until he's 40. He's come off the back of a strong season. I think the fact he's moving to Sunderland shows he's hungry.
"He's been in good physical shape throughout his career. I think he can adapt to different kinds of roles tactically, but also in the dressing room, which is a positive."
Listen below or on BBC Sounds here
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on Sunderland's new membership scheme, which has quickly become a divisive issue among the fanbase
Here are some of your comments:
RE: Like many of us, I was there week in, week out through successive relegations. I was there through the humiliation of League One. I was there for every home game through successive promotion campaigns and campaigns when we missed out. Now we have all the plastic supporters turning back up when the Premier League, and now Europe, beckons. These supporters' memberships seem primarily aimed at those who don't have season tickets to enter a ballot for league home tickets and cup home games. That is after the season ticket-holders have had first refusal on cup games. The way I see it, this is rewarding the loyalty of the season ticket-holders who have been there through the hard times and asking those who just want to be here when things are going well to put their money where their mouth is.
Martin: For a fan who has supported the club for over 50 years, it doesn't seem very fair to me.
Thomas: I'm a massive Sunderland supporter and have been a season ticket-holder in the past, but now, because of family and work commitments, I only get to one or two games a year. Having to pay £48 to be able to get these tickets feels like a bit of a kick in the teeth, cost upon cost. It's not as if the Stadium of Light will be flooded with tourists trying to get tickets. Even with Premier League football, the bulk of those buying tickets will be genuine fans. I will get the membership to guarantee getting those couple of tickets, but will do so begrudgingly.
Peter: As a long-term season ticket-holder, I haven't been able to get to away games over the past four years. I have tried but, without points, tickets were impossible to get hold of. At least this gives me a slim chance.
Peter: Not sure I see any benefits for season ticket-holders.
Image source, Getty ImagesSunderland full-back Timothee Pembele has joined Ligue 1 side Le Havre on a permanent deal.
The 23-year-old, who had struggled for fitness since signing from Paris St-Germain in September 2023, made just eight first-team appearances for the Black Cats.
Pembele impressed during two separate loan spells with the French club though, making 35 appearances and scoring one goal.
Sunderland are lining up a move to sign 19-year-old French defender Dayann Methalie from Toulouse. (Football Insider), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesSunderland supporters are currently debating the club's new membership scheme, which has quickly become a divisive issue among the fanbase.
The new scheme means the only club in the Premier League without a membership offering some sort of ticket priority system is Bournemouth.
Explaining the situation, BBC Radio Newcastle's Nick Barnes said: "The scheme is open to all fans and it works on three different levels with a variety of benefits depending on which category you pay for.
"The annual fees range from £20 to £48. Membership schemes are common in the Premier League because it allows clubs to tap into their support abroad, but the scheme is also aimed at offering members priority to tickets and this is where there is some debate. I have seen a fair amount of debate about the fairness of the scheme reading through the comments on social media and it seems fans are split.
"Those in favour because it gives them a better chance to buy away tickets through a ballot, but it's worth stressing those with Black Cat points will still get priority and 90% of away tickets. But, the scheme allows season card holders who possibly couldn't go to many away games a chance to buy tickets and it opens the door to a generation to get on the ladder for Black Cat's points.
"I've seen some concerns from fans who would want more than one ticket and whether, if they can get more than one, they can sit together.
"If you're not a season card holder then to get tickets for home games you'd have to join the scheme in the Black Cats adult or academy category because the waiting list is officially closed, but the membership scheme will give you a place on that waiting list."
How do you feel about the new membership scheme? And what concerns, if any, has it raised for you?
Image source, Getty ImagesThomas Meunier says belief in the project and being impressed by Sunderland's "ambition and desire to keep moving forward" were behind his decision to join the club.
The 34-year-old defender has joined on a two-year deal, having been a free agent following his departure from Lille.
Meunier has made more than 550 senior appearances, including 83 international caps, across an impressive career that has included spells at European giants Paris St-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, and is looking to bring his experience to the Black Cats as they prepare for their first European campaign since 1973.
"I am hugely excited and honoured to join Sunderland," he told club media.
"When I spoke with the club, I was impressed by the ambition, the project and the desire to keep moving forward.
"I'm here today because I believe in the project. I saw the squad last season, the results and the quality. I think we can achieve at least the same season as last year.
"When I got the call from Sunderland asking me to be part of the project, of course it's the Premier League - it's even bigger than European football. But with the Europa League next to it, and for the first time in 50 years, I was attracted directly. So, I didn't hesitate.
"I made the choice to come to Sunderland because I really want to be here."
Director of Football Florent Ghisolfi added: "Thomas is a player who understands what it takes to compete for success, and we're confident his mentality and character will have a positive influence on the squad.
"We believe he'll make an important contribution on and off the pitch, and we're excited to see him begin this new chapter with us. It feels like a great fit."
Sunderland are set to complete the signing of Belgium right-back Thomas Meunier following the 34-year-old's departure from Lille. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
The World Cup is doing a fantastic job of filling the Premier League void, but there is nothing quite like club football.
As the tournament in North America heads towards its climax, there is a Sunderland fanbase waiting for the 2026-27 season with anticipation.
So, it has got us thinking: what are you looking forward to most about club football resuming?
Pre-season is just around the corner and the Premier League returns in less than 50 days.
Here is Sunderland's pre-season schedule - with kick-off times in BST.
Sunderland, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Fulham and Brighton are all interested in 20-year-old Sweden and Barcelona winger Roony Bardghji. (Sport, via Sport Witness), external
Hit play below to hear a round-up of Sunderland transfer rumours or listen on BBC Sounds here
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
When the World Cup ends, regardless of who wins, we'll still have loads of great content every day as we build up to the new Premier League season.
We're already working on some exciting new things for 2026-27.
As well as all the fallout and reaction to the tournament, we'll quickly shift back towards club football, with pre-season coverage and all the latest transfer gossip and stories.
BBC Sport and teams across BBC Nations and Regions cover all 20 Premier League sides and we have dedicated club reporters, who will be travelling to bring you behind-the-scenes insights from pre-season tours.
We'll also have live pages for selected pre-season matches, as well as in-depth features and storytelling, giving you the latest updates before the new campaign.
Once the World Cup ends, some of the standout players will be hot property in the transfer market, with top clubs chasing their signatures.
Our reporters, including senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel, will be breaking the big transfer stories on our website and app.
We'll also have our daily transfer gossip column, wrapping up all the rumours from across the football world.
For fans of World Cup Predictor, a new weekly game will be launching immediately after the tournament, with five fixtures a week to predict the outcomes of. You'll be able to build up your streaks and share your results with friends and family.
Our quizzes will also continue to be available to play so you can test your knowledge of the beautiful game.
Our new Shorts tab in the BBC Sport app will be the home of sport videos with content throughout the week from your club, including explainers, pundit analysis, interviews and behind-the-scenes content. We'll also be starting to include more reaction from fans so you can see the latest hot takes and debate the biggest talking points from your club.
Live pages are going to get bigger and better with more interactive elements, more conversation and improved functionality. They'll have BBC Radio 5 Live audio commentaries for the Premier League and Champions League, as well as live video for FA Cup.
Remember, the best way to get all of this content is to download the BBC Sport app and follow your favourite teams and sports using the My Sport tab.
Once you've set this up, you'll have quick access to those pages at the top of your Home tab and we'll be able to serve you better, more personalised, experiences in future.
And when following your Premier League team, from the start of the 2026-27 season you'll also get Live Notifications, which give you score updates directly on your phone's lock screen during a match.
"It would be prudent to sell someone at a big profit," believes The Athletic's football finance writer Chris Weatherspoon, as Sunderland look to stay on the right side of PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) and SCR (Squad-Cost Ratio) in their second season since promotion to the top flight.
Weatherspoon, who also supports the Black Cats, spoke about the club's financial position on BBC Radio Newcastle: "From our reporting at the end of the 2025-26 season, the club made about £168m from Premier League prize money alone and they are going to get about £10m from being in the Europa League.
"The club has already said they aren't under any financial pressure. They aren't in the position other clubs have found themselves in where they have to sell a player to adhere to the rules.
"However, they won't be able to spend the thick end of £200m again without selling some players.
"When they sell a player like Eliezer Mayenda for good money, as they just have done, that enhances their spending ability. The timing of a sale doesn't really matter, it is the length of the contract that means something.
"For example, if you sign a player for £25m on a five-year contract, that hits the club's books at £5m per year plus wages - so Sunderland spent about £200m but that didn't immediately go on their books.
"They also came up to the Premier League with an incredibly cheap squad, so that's why they were in a position to go and do what they did. But, outside of the big six, very few clubs can consistently spend £200m a year so we shouldn't expect them to repeat that this summer.
"It would be prudent to sell someone at a big profit and I would be very surprised if they didn't have to field at least one big bid for a player this summer.
"We also don't know what Sunderland's wage bill was for the season just gone - and that is a big variable. It will be substantially higher than what it was in the Championship, but if we don't know by how much then it makes it difficult to predict what they can spend this summer."
Hit play above to hear the full conversation or listen on BBC Sounds here
Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic remains a target for Premier League clubs with Sunderland, Newcastle, Leeds and Bournemouth all keen on the 23-year-old Bosnia-Herzegovina international. (Corriere dello Sport via Football Italia), external
Meanwhile, the Black Cats are aiming to make Roma's 23-year-old Argentine winger Matias Soule their first signing of the summer. He is valued at about 35m euros (£30m) (Northern Echo), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesPlenty of players have made names for themselves at this World Cup, from goalkeepers like Cape Verde's Vozinha and Paraguay's Orlando Gill to New Zealand midfielder Elijah Just.
But though they might not have been familiar to fans, the extent of modern scouting means clubs all over the world will already have known about many of them – so how have their heroics at the tournament affected their standing in the game, and their value in the transfer market?
More than the Score's Mani Djazmi is joined Ben Littlemore from Transfermarkt, one of the world's foremost football databases. Lutz Pfannenstiel, sporting director at Aberdeen, also shares his footballing knowledge in today's episode.
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Portugal defender Jose Fonte is joining Sunderland as part of Regis le Bris' technical coaching team.
The 42-year-old retired from playing at the end of last season. His career spanned 24 years, during which he made almost 900 senior appearances for club and country.
Fonte is best known in England for his eight seasons at Southampton between 2010 and 2017, during which time he made 288 appearances.
Sunderland director of football Florent Ghisolfi said: "Jose joins our coaching team with a wealth of experience as a player at the top level. He will bring that experience, along with tremendous energy, to a technical staff that is already performing outstandingly under the guidance of Regis.
"We believe those qualities, combined with his strong leadership skills, will add great value to our club as we look to push forward both in the Premier League and on the European stage."
Fonte will officially start his role on 20 July.
Image source, Getty ImagesGranit Xhaka says he is "ready to make history with Sunderland" after a summer in which his future has been uncertain.
The Switzerland captain was the subject of a bid from Chelsea, casting doubt on his role as Sunderland skipper after a successful first campaign with the Black Cats.
But speaking after Switzerland qualified for the quarter-finals of the World Cup, Xhaka told DAZN: "Sunderland is my home, I've felt that way since day one. My family, my children... we're all very happy. I'm sure it's for the long haul because I've decided to stay where I am. Family comes first, and I'm ready to make history with Sunderland, let's see how far we can go.
"I guess I'm like wine, I get better with age. I think I'm gaining a lot of experience from my teammates, my coaches... all of this makes me very happy. I'm still 33 and I think I'm still at my best."
Le Bris: 'Premier League is our main target' Audio, 3 minutes
Regis Le Bris reacts after Sunderland's 5-1 friendly win over York City.
Who is Thomas Meunier? Audio, 4 minutes
French football expert Baptiste Reynaud tells Total Sport all about the new signing.
Sunderland's new membership scheme explained. Audio, 8 minutes
Sunderland have launched a new membership scheme with ballots for match tickets.
Transfer rumours: Soule, Muharemovic & Patterson. Audio, 1 minute
The latest transfer reports for Sunderland link the club with two players from Serie A.
