Sunderland Transfers: 10 Players Sam Allardyce Must Sign

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...