Sunderland Transfers: 10 Players Derek McInnes Could Bring With Him

Starting From Scratch.

Derek McInnes Daryl Murphy
PA Wire/EMPICS

Multiple reports have today proffered that Sunderland AFC will make an official approach for Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes following David Moyes' May departure.

Black Cats' chairman Martin Bain has been coy since the former Everton and Manchester Utd manager left the club at the culmination of a disastrous relegation campaign.

He said, "We are keen to conclude things as quickly as possible, whilst being mindful of the need to make the right appointment", seemingly asking Sunderland fans to remain patient, particularly after the protracted exit of Sam Allardyce last season hamstrung Moyes' first team preparation.

Reports suggest Bain and Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne have met to thrash out a potential compensation deal for the highly regarded Dons gaffer. The relegated side are £110million in debt, but are allegedly willing to pay any necessary fees to Aberdeen in order to land their top choice.

Should he return south from relative triumph in Scotland, who could McInnes bring in over the summer months? The exit of several high profile players in the last week (with more likely to follow) leaves Sunderland in a transitional phase, but with that drama comes potential opportunity.

The revolving door policy at the club since Martin O'Neill's 2013 exit has robbed virtually every manager of gaining a significant foothold with a squad of their own, but McInnes may be the first new manager in years to build a fresh squad from the ground up as Sunderland look to return to the Premier League at the earliest juncture.

10. Graeme Shinnie

Derek McInnes Daryl Murphy
Sky Sports

The highly touted left back has been a key part of Derek McInnes' Aberdeen legacy, making 73 appearances for 'The Dons' since signing for the club in January 2015.

Voted into the top three for Aberdeen's Supporters' Player of the Year, he was labelled 'The People's Captain' ahead of leading the team out for their Scottish Cup Final defeat against League rivals Celtic.

At only 25, he has far more experience than his eight years in the game belie, lifting the Cup once already as captain of Inverness Caledonian Thistle during their 2015/16 campaign.

Shinnie and McInnes waxed lyrical about one another when the defender signed a new contract to stay with the club until 2019, having repeatedly caught the eye of other English sides before and after his switch to Pittodrie.

Sunderland need to strengthen in all areas following the first of several player clear-outs last week, and a trusted aide in the Scottish International may be vital for McInnes as he prepares to tackle a brand new dressing room.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett