5 Inspired Sunderland Free Transfers (And 5 Total Disasters)

Every so often, Premier League clubs can snap up unbelievable bargains with several high profile players running down their contracts ready to be released for a fresh start. This summer, James Milner's expired deal led him to probable first team football on Merseyside, while Micah Richards used his expiration to secure a move back to England after a loan spell to Fiorentina from Manchester City. While their wages will probably be higher than what they could've expected if they came with a bloated transfer fee, they still represent excellent bargain signings. Sunderland aren't one of the big boys in the league, and therefore cannot compete with the financial muscle of the teams at the top, meaning that free transfers can be the unpredictable boost the Black Cats need in order to climb the table. Over the Premier League era, there have been plenty of players walk into the Stadium of Light without commanding a fee, though the vast majority of those times, Sunderland got exactly what they paid for - nothing. The following list will look at the extremely limited supply of good free signings, before moving on to five transfers that left the Wearside club feeling ripped off without even paying a penny.