Sunderland

Gavin Henderson
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland have had the greatest transfer window in the club's history, and you won't find a single fan that argues any different.

We have made 14 signings, tied a number of promising players down to long-term deals, brought on board a new director of football, got rid of a lot of deadwood, sold some decent but not completely important players for a good profit, and now have a squad everyone feels is capable of competing in the Premier League with the other top sides at that level.

The departure of Marc Guiu was a curveball, but the club showed how well-oiled they are as a machine and we went out and signed Ajax's number nine, Brian Brobbey to fill the void.

There have been several other signings, but I won't go in depth on them - what is important is that Sunderland's owners have given us the best possible chance of staying in the Premier League, and that is all that we can ask.

I'm not really sure that, as a promoted side, things could have gone any better. Realistically, what else could you expect? They have delivered on every metric.

We have a squad which looks more than capable of competing in the top flight, and I can only imagine that many teams will not be looking forward to facing us now that we have got ourselves into adequate shape.

We are absolutely buzzing. Thank you, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, for giving our football club the best possible chance of survival by backing us in the transfer market. I rate this transfer window a 9.5/10.

Bring on the rest of this season!

Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report, external

Sunderland have confirmed the signing of Bertrand Traore from Ajax.

The Burkina Faso international has signed a one-year contract at Stadium of Light, with the option of a further year.

"I'm really happy to join Sunderland," Traore said. "It's a huge club and for me, it feels great to be back in the Premier League.

"From far away, I've seen the way the team has started the season, the movements, the atmosphere around the club and everything looks positive. I'm excited to be part of this project and part of this team.

"It helps as well that I already know a few players, like Simon Adingra, and of course Brian [Brobbey], who also joined today. Having those relationships and my past experiences in England will make it easier to settle quickly.

"I'm looking forward to stepping out at the Stadium of Light and giving my best for the fans."

• Listen to BBC Radio Newcastle's Nick Barnes on Sunderland's deadline day signing on BBC Sounds

Birmingham have signed Sunderland winger Patrick Roberts on a season-long loan.

The 28-year-old moved to the Stadium of Light from Manchester City in January 2022 and helped guide the Black Cats from League One to the Premier League.

He made 147 appearances in all competitions, scoring nine goals and contributing 18 assists and came off the bench in the second half at Wembley in May as Sunderland came from behind to beat Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final.

New Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey says he is "ready for this next chapter" after completing a permanent move from Ajax.

The 23-year-old has joined on a five-year deal for a reported £21.6m fee.

Brobbey is a two-time winner of the Eredivisie with the Dutch club, and has scored 56 goals and provided 24 assists in 163 appearances for the club.

"It feels great to be a Sunderland player. I spoke with Nordi Mukiele, who I know from my time in RB Leipzig, and he told me about the club, the fans, and how it feels like a family," he told club media.

"I first talked with Sunderland over a month ago, and I have seen the stadium and the fans this season, and I can't wait to be a part of that passion.

"It's emotional to say goodbye to Ajax, as I grew up here and I'm going to miss everyone, but the Premier League is the biggest stage in the world, and I'm ready for this next chapter."

Brobbey is a Netherlands international and has played eight times for his country.

New Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida says he wants to be part of the club's Premier League "fight" this season.

The 25-year-old has completed a season-long loan deal from RB Leipzig, having made 35 appearances for the Bundesliga side last campaign.

Before that, Geertruida spent 12 years at Dutch side Feyenoord, winning the 2022-23 Eredivisie and the Dutch Cup.

"First of all, I want to thank God for this opportunity, and I also want to thank the club for their trust in me. I've always wanted to play in the Premier League, and I'm so excited now that my opportunity is here," he told club media.

"We are new to the league, so we need to fight, and I want to be a part of that. I've seen the recent games and think the group looks fresh and energetic.

"Now, I just want to be as important as possible for this club. I'm ready, and I can't wait to see the fans in the stadium."

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman added: "We are delighted that Lutsharel has joined us for the 2025-26 season.

"He was extremely motivated by our proposal from the very beginning, and the opportunity to bring such a high-calibre player to the club on loan was a perfect fit for us.

"Competition for his signature was high, but the combination of our club, city, and fanbase ultimately made the difference."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on what is still needed by Sunderland on transfer deadline day.

Here are some of your comments:

Stu: All in all, I'm more than pleased with the business the club have done this summer. We look a competitive and strong Premier League side who, if we can avoid injuries, can survive comfortably. That said, I would like to see if we can add a futher forward player and the pending Lucumi deal before the deadline.

Johnathan: Another right-sided attacking midfielder similar to the mould of Enzo. Otherwise, I suspect we will become lopsided and therefore easier to counter.

Lucas: The club have been working really hard on the Lucumi deal, but I fear it may not go through in time so I hope we have a back-up lined up. Would also love to see us bring in one more experienced body, ideally up front. A Danny Welbeck return would be next level.

Jeff: A central defender and a striker with Premier League experience. No more buying in unknowns to develop and sell on at a later date. Our main priority is staying up.

Rob: At least another centre-back. Ballard is made of glass.

Today is the second transfer deadline day of the summer following a brief closure in June because of the Club World Cup.

In a change to previous windows, clubs only have until 19:00 BST to complete deals, bringing the Premier League in line with the EFL, Italy's Serie A, France's Ligue 1 and Germany's Bundesliga. The window in Scotland and Spain remains open until 23:00 BST.

It has already been a hectic window - with a number of storylines still to be resolved - but whether it turns out to be a day of transfer action or a pretty quiet one for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

Follow our live text coverage throughout the day here

Get alerts and keep up to date with all the latest news, insight and fan views for your club

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Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs praised the teams "great character" as they scored two late goals to beat Brentford at the Stadium of Light.

It is only the second time the Black Cats have won their first two home games in the Premier League, with the other occasion being in 2001-02 under Peter Reid.

"It has been a really great start," Roefs told BBC Radio Newcastle. "Before the season started, everyone would have been really happy with six points from three games.

"I am so happy that we could turn the game around and that's because we showed great character as a team.

"We are going to go game by game as everything in the Premier League is really difficult.

"We will prepare like every other game to play Crystal Palace [after the international break] because we have to be really sharp.

"Our character is our strong point as a team so we have to keep that and not take it easy because we have had a good start."

Listen to Roefs' full interview on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Sunderland and Brentford.

Here are some of your comments:

Sunderland fans

Ian: Three points for a dogged performance. Never stopped running and trying after a stalemate first half. Some new Sunderland heroes in the making.

Michael: Fantastic result even if the performance wasn't our best. The centre-backs were superb. Even though Reinildo gave away the penalty, I thought he was outstanding. Granit Xhaka, again, controlled the midfield. Six points after three games is a brilliant return.

Reece: We rode our luck at times but the team showed they have real fight in them. Excellent performance from Nordi Mukiele stepping in to cover for Dan Ballard's absence.

Ronnie: The slogan going into the play-offs last season was "'Til The End" and we embodied that in all three play-off games. Against Brentford, Sunderland provided more evidence of the refusal to give up which personifies their recent attitude. Pride in the shirt is woven into the new signings and the Stadium of Light might prove a challenging environment for some this season.

Brentford fans

George: It is hard not to fixate on the decision to hand the ball to Kevin Schade for the penalty. I imagine the intention was to boost his confidence and give him his first goal of the season, but that has now squarely backfired. I worry for his confidence going into our next game.

Andy: When you don't take the opportunities given to you in the Premier League, you get punished - and that's what happened to us.

James: Our inability to close out a game from a winning position comes to the forefront once again. Schade - to my knowledge - has never taken a penalty for us before. Why then? Igor Thiago should be the designated penalty-taker.

Paul: Poor again away from home. Such bad game management again at the end of a game. I don't know what the answer is, but I'm not looking forward to the season ahead. It's going to be a long one.

Eilidh Barbour
Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland's victory over Brentford won't be described as a classic, but there is more than one way to win a game of football and a trip to the Stadium of Light isn't going to be a walk in the park this season.

There may have been misplaced passes, questionable decision-making and a lack of real potency in the final third for the home team, but they more than made up for it with determination, desire, work-rate and a vibrant, noisy home support that gets right behind their team.

Those are the qualities that got them over the line with a 95th-minute winner to make it two wins from two on their own patch.

For teams making their way to this part of the world, beware of the 12th man.

It's transfer deadline day tomorrow, with the window closing at 19:00 BST.

How would you assess your window? And if you think work still needs to be done, give us names on who should be brought in or let go.

Get in touch with your views here

Pundits Danny Murphy and Steph Houghton join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Tottenham 0-1 Bournemouth

• Man Utd 3-2 Burnley

• Leeds 0-0 Newcastle

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

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Reghis le Bris will be delighted by the heart and perseverance his side showed in the closing stages of their win over Brentford.

His revamped Sunderland side enjoyed the better of the early stages with Nordi Mukiele driving a rising effort over the bar on his Premier League debut.

But despite exhibiting plenty of enterprise, that rarely translated to opportunities in front of goal.

Until Enzo le Fee's 82nd-minute penalty the hosts had managed just one shot on target, with their final ball and finishing lacking the quality and conviction to trouble Brentford.

Yet that was enough to provide the crowd with the fuel to spur their team on to a second home win of the season and deliver a valuable return of six points.

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the 2-1 win over Brentford: "At the end it was emotional for Sunderland. It was the case last season and it is already this season.

"It was not an easy game. It was a bit tough and the team reacted really well."

On Wilson Isidor: "Wilson is really well connected with the club. He had a happy day yesterday and another one today and he worked so hard. He deserved this moment. He flew yesterday evening and was ready to go this morning."

On the penalties: "We still have to learn the new rules. In the boxes it is a battle on set-pieces.

"We have to understand what is allowed and what is not. The balance is positive for us."

Did you know?

• Wilson Isidor's goal on 95 minutes and 17 seconds was Sunderland's second-latest winner in the Premier League, after March 2008 against West Ham (95 minutes and 24 seconds).

• Isidor is the second Sunderland player to score in both of his first two Premier League home appearances, after Steven Fletcher in September 2012.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Sunderland's performance

What did you make of Brentford's display?

Come back to this page on Sunday to find a selection of your replies

Sunderland make two changes to the side that lost 2-0 at Burnley in the Premier League last weekend. Nordi Mukiele and Enzo Le Fee both start in place of the injured Dan Ballard and Simon Adingra.

Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Mukiele, Alderete, Mandava, Diarra, Xhaka, Sadiki, Talbi, Mayenda, Le Fee.

Subs: Patterson, Neil, Guiu, Roberts, Rigg, Isidor, Seelt, Adingra, Masuaku

Brentford name the same side that began their 1-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League last Saturday.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter, Yarmolyuk, Henderson, Ouattara, Damsgaard, Schade,Thiago.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Henry, Pinnock, Jensen, Carvalho, Onyeka, Milambo, Ajer.

There are six games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Chelsea v Fulham (12:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Man Utd v Burnley

• Sunderland v Brentford

• Tottenham v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Wolves v Everton

• Leeds v Newcastle (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Sunderland had that brilliant start against West Ham and they had a tight game with Burnley. I thought it'd be a draw but Burnley ultimately got the win.

Brentford played very well at Aston Villa and deserved their win in what was a massive result for Keith Andrews.

I've said before I know people have written Brentford off but they are an experienced, battle-hardened Premier League side. I think their win last week would've done them the world of good. They should win again on Saturday.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Tom White
BBC Sport journalist

Sunderland and Brentford meet in matchround three with both sides aiming to secure their second Premier League win of the season. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Saturday's fixture at the Stadium of Light.

New kids on the block

For the first time since May 2023, the Premier League's bottom three contains no promoted teams from last season's Championship.

All three of Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley have won one of their opening two league games of the campaign – a feat that took last season's trio until November to achieve.

The signs, therefore, look positive that perhaps for the first time in three years at least one of the promoted sides can avoid relegation.

Home form key for Sunderland

This summer has seen 12 new signings arrive at the Stadium of Light for an initial expense of over £140m and head coach Régis Le Bris admitted after last week's defeat to Burnley that his side needed to "learn and grow", emphasising the fact that his new-look team "struggled to create rhythm in the final third".

If they are to succeed in their objective of avoiding an immediate return to the second tier the Black Cats will likely need to rely on their home form.

A vociferous backing of 46,000 Mackems drove Les Bris' side to a 3-0 victory against West Ham on the opening day to get them off to the perfect start.

However, last season in the Championship the North East side won just 12 of 23 matches in their own stadium, leaving them with just the sixth best home record in the division.

Brentford win - but without the ball

Brentford, meanwhile, found their own home comforts last week, beating Aston Villa 1-0 to ease the initial concerns that followed their 3-1 opening day defeat at Nottingham Forest.

In a game that boss Keith Andrews hailed as "scrappy, ugly…..and I loved it", Brentford showed their resilience was still evident after substantial summer departures.

The Bees made just 178 passes to Villa's 587 while enjoying only 24% possession, their lowest ever in a Premier League victory and the 18th lowest share of any winning side in the competition. They averaged 47% possession when winning matches in the Premier League last season.

Despite defeat at Forest, no team have won more points away from home in 2025 than Brentford's 23, with seven wins the club's joint-most ever in a top-flight calendar year away from home.

Image source, Getty Images

Northern Ireland defenders Daniel Ballard and Brodie Spencer have been ruled out of the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers away to Luxembourg and Germany.

Sunderland's Ballard was forced off in the first half of his side's 2-0 loss against Burnley on Saturday, while Spencer was injured in Oxford United's 6-0 Carabao Cup defeat against Brighton on Wednesday.

It is a further blow for boss Michael O'Neill, who is already without goalkeepers Pierce Charles and Conor Hazard as well as defender Ciaron Brown and midfielder Jordan Thompson through injury.

O'Neill has called up uncapped trio Kofi Balmer, Ryan Johnson and Jamie McDonnell as replacements and further cover.

Motherwell defender Balmer, 24, has made 20 appearances for Northern Ireland's Under-21 side and been called up to the senior squad on six occasions without making an appearance.

Johnson, a 28-year-old centre-back at League One AFC Wimbledon, receives his first senior call after featuring for Northern Ireland at under-21 level.

Midfielder McDonnell is currently on loan at League One side Mansfield Town from Premier League side Nottingham Forest, who took the 21-year-old from Irish Premiership side Glentoran in 2020.

He has represented his country at under-17 and under-21 level.

Northern Ireland begin their World Cup qualifying campaign in Luxembourg on Thursday, 4 September.

They travel to Cologne to take on Germany in their second Group A game on Sunday, 7 September.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brentford at Stadium of Light (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Le Bris confirmed there are no new injuries in the squad to add to Dan Ballard's: "At the moment we have 15-16 potential starters available for the match. So, tomorrow we start with 11 and maybe finish with three, four or five more players from the squad."

• On how Eliezer Mayenda is after missing key chances against Burnley: "He is OK. It is part of the process. If we think about last season, it started like that - with one or two missed big chances - but finally was really good. Strikers and players in other positions can make mistakes, or a goalkeeper can make big saves. Stay confident and support him and it will be OK."

• On possible incomings and outgoings before Monday's transfer window deadline: "For ins, we have to wait. For outs, probably will have an option for Ahmed [Abdullahi] so we expect to leave on loan. For others, it is still the same principle. Last couple days is crazy. Other clubs are just waiting to decide last minute."

• Le Bris said there is still "one or two positions" he would like to add to but is "happy" with his squad: "The amount of work is huge [this summer]. Not an easy challenge. Connection with players now is good. They understand identity of the club, the connection with team-mates."

• On the importance of home support for survival this season: "They are a key pillar of our identity. Sunderland is made with this support. If we don't use it properly then it doesn't make sense. If our fans recognise this identity, the willingness, the togetherness – they are happier when we win and that is fair, but we know this won't be possible every time. If we are connected with this ambition and commitment, it will be a massive strength for us."

• On if bouncing back against Brentford is first test of his team's resilience: "This is the next game. Whether it is a win or a defeat, you always have to reset. The situation of the two games was very different. The most important thing in football is to stay adaptive, be ready to manage anything and be ready to go again with this idea."

Hear more from Le Bris on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news