Sunderland have already dismissed one of Premier League’s biggest transfer myths
Sunderland’s success in the Premier League has been achieved largely without the one thing that everyone thinks is crucial.
Sunderland are back in action on Saturday when they travel to take on Arsenal at the Emirates, having already secured a point against the Gunners at the Stadium of Light.
While unlikely, if the Black Cats were to win on Saturday, it would take them up to 39 points, which would all but guarantee safety.
It would be a huge achievement to secure safety this early into the season, and the Wearsiders would have done it without taking much note of the advice that is given to newly-promoted sides.
Sunderland’s squad is lacking Premier League experience
And that is evidently not a bad thing.
Of those who have featured regularly for Sunderland this season, only Granit Xhaka has had an extended time in the Premier League.
Ironically, the next two summer signings with the most Premier League experience were Arthur Masuaku and Simon Adingra, both of whom have already departed the Stadium of Light on loan after failing to impress in their first six months on Wearside.
However, teams that are coming up from the Championship are always warned of the dangers of having an inexperienced squad for top-flight football.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Granit Xhaka | 320 | 24 | 34 |
| Arthur Masuaku | 132 | 2 | 9 |
| Simon Adingra | 88 | 13 | 5 |
The Black Cats have, and still are, dismissing that myth, with Regis Le Bris’ side well on course to achieve European qualification for the next campaign.
Sunderland’s project isn’t anything new
The Black Cats brought in some incredible talent in the summer, most of which was for a very small fee.
The likes of Noah Sadiki, Chemsdine Talbi and Robin Roefs cost less than £60million combined, and would easily be sold for an additional £100m if they were to leave in the summer, which hopefully will not be the case.
Sunderland did the same in League One with the likes of Jack Clarke and Dennis Cirkin, and then again in the Championship.
They’ve shown how to compete in the most competitive league in the world, all while being sustainable from a recruitment perspective.