Sunderland kick off their 2023/24 Championship season in a week's time as they host Ipswich Town at the Stadium of Light next Sunday.
Who have Sunderland signed this summer?
The Black Cats faithful could see a host of fresh faces on the pitch for their side during the game as Tony Mowbray and Kristjaan Speakman have worked together to bring in six new signings so far.
Nectarios Triantis, Jobe Bellingham, Bradley Dack, Luis Hemir Semedo, Eliezer Mayenda, and Jenson Seelt have all arrived on permanent deals.
That does not appear to be the end of their business for the summer transfer window, though, as it was recently reported by the Daily Mail that the Black Cats are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Southampton central midfielder Will Smallbone.
The outlet named Luton Town, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Blackburn Rovers as some of the other teams eyeing up the Irish maestro, who has one year left to run on his current contract at St. Mary's.
How good is Will Smallbone?
A loan spell with Stoke City during the 2022/23 campaign proved that the 23-year-old technician is an excellent Championship performer who could be a fantastic addition to Sunderland's squad if they are able to snap him up.
Mowbray can land the dream replacement for Edouard Michut, who returned to Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his time with the Black Cats last season, by winning the race to secure Smallbone's signature this summer ahead of top-flight competition.
Michut made 24 league appearances for the club last term and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.64, which placed him 20th within the squad. This shows that the French midfielder struggled to deliver consistently impressive displays as he was not one of the team's top performers.
The 20-year-old gem did make 1.6 tackles per game, which only four of his teammates eclipsed, but he offered very little going forward with 0.2 key passes per game – less than 16 other players on the roster.
On the other hand, Smallbone showcased himself to be a tough-tackling creator who can be relied on to produce excellent performances on a consistent basis at this level.
He averaged a Sofacore rating of 7.00, which would have placed him joint-third with winger Jack Clarke in the Sunderland squad, and caught the eye in the defensive third with 1.7 tackles per match for the Potters.
The £6k-per-week magician also made a significant impact in possession as he created 1.6 chances per clash and racked up five assists for Alex Neil's team. Meanwhile, only Clarke (1.5) produced more key passes per game for Sunderland and only three players managed more than five assists.
These statistics suggest that Smallbone, who was once dubbed a "special" talent by journalist Josh Bunting, has the ability to be one of Mowbray's best players next season, if he can replicate his Stoke form or even improve on it.
The Saints wizard could be an outstanding creative threat from the middle of the park in a way that Michut was unable to be, whilst still being able to offer a defensive presence as a tough-tackling number eight who can win possession back for his side.