Same story, different January. Essentially since the dawn of time, Sunderland have needed to spend big in the winter transfer window to avoid the drop. 2016 is no different. There's a strange serenity around Wearside following their 3-1 triumph over Aston Villa, but there's a long way to go before Sunderland can declare themselves anywhere near 'safe'. Hopes are high with Sam Allardyce at the helm, but he requires a big January to stand any chance of survival in arguably the most competitive Premier League season of the century. Watford, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and other sides who have struggled - or were expected to struggle - have all enjoyed successful starts to the campaign and are busy adding some serious quality to their ranks. Top of the shopping list for Allardyce must be a centre back (or ten), closely followed by a targetman, a left back, and a creative midfielder. Even the usually sturdy goalkeeping situation has faltered this season, with Costel Pantilimon enduring a torrid spell resulting in being dropped for Vito Mannone, but young wonderkid Jordan Pickford is back on Wearside, and is expected to play a big part in Sunderland's survival bid. The rumour mill never stops, and names are constantly being spat into the tabloids, so here are some of those speculated targets combined with a few players who should realistically be in Allardyce's thoughts for this crucial January window...