5 Inspired Sunderland Free Transfers (And 5 Total Disasters)

1. Seb Larsson

Seb Larsson came to Sunderland with high expectations, and quickly became the 'Match of the Day' player, meaning that he'd be relatively poor for the majority of games, but because he bagged a few free-kicks, the world thought he was our key man. Patience was wearing thin with Larsson, but the decision was made to sell Craig Gardner and keep the Swede. What an outstanding decision that was. In 2014/15, Larsson made a marvellous comeback, shifting permanently into central midfield and maturing in every aspect of his game. Winning the Player of the Season award was a marker of how far he has progressed, and while he won't be noticed as often on the Match of the Day clips, his contributions have proved invaluable this season, especially when paired with Lee Cattermole. They're the duo that Sunderland need to build their squad upon.