Sunderland will be hoping for a positive end to the summer transfer window, with Phil Parkinson hoping to finally end the club’s League One stay.  

It’s been a tough couple of years if you’re of a Sunderland persuasion, but there’s been a positive start to the 2020/21 season, with four points on the board from two fixtures.

A strong end to the window will help improve Parkinson’s chance of delivering a sought-after promotion, but this is a difficult window to deal in, as we all know.

Quiz: 6 of these Sunderland facts are false – Can you identify them?

The key for Sunderland is going to be avoiding any big name ‘flops’ in the coming weeks, which could set them back.

On that topic, we’ve dived into the archives and plucked out a couple of summer transfers that really didn’t hit the heights.

We take a look at those here…

Jack Rodwell

One that Sunderland fans will want to forget, but how could they?

Rodwell was complete waste of space at Sunderland and his spell with the club eventually ended in the summer of 2018.

He cost a reported £10m and the only legacy he’s left behind is a bad one.

James Vaughan

Vaughan was signed by Sunderland in the summer of 2017, as they embarked on the Championship following relegation.

The striker bagged two goals in 23 appearances, but he was quickly out of the door.

He moved onto Wigan around seven months after arriving.

Will Buckley

Buckley linked up with Sunderland in the Premier League for a reported £2.5m.

The winger was on the books at the Stadium of Light for three seasons, but he started only nine fixtures in that time.

Loans with Leeds, Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday followed, but the winger never recaptured the form that made him such a hit with Brighton.