With League One football set to take place at The Stadium of Light next season, Sunderland need to start preparing for a promotion push.

The Black Cats are a big fish in a small pond in that division and they need to ensure that they do not spend too much time down there.

Sunderland need to strengthen all over the park but especially at centre-half.

Lamine Kone is still on Premier League wages and is expected to leave and Jake Clarke-Salter heads back to Chelsea after his unsuccessful loan stay while John O'Shea and Marc Wilson are out-of-contract.

Sunderland have been linked with a move for Nedum Onuoha, who spent a loan spell at the club in the 2010/11 season.

Here, FLW shines a spotlight on his season at Queens Park Rangers and considers whether he would be a good addition for Sunderland.

Onuoha has been with QPR for six years, establishing himself as a regular at the heart of defence in both the Premier League and the Championship with dominant displays at the back.

This season, the 31-year-old played 29 times, making an average of 5.9 clearances per game to help shore things up at the back for Ian Holloway's side.

Onuoha also made 1.1 blocks per game and 0.8 tackles on average in each match.

He can also carry the ball out of defence, making an average of 38.3 passes per game at an impressive success rate of just under 80 per cent.

Sunderland should definitely pursue this deal and try to bring him back to The Stadium of Light in the summer, regardless of who is appointed as their next manager.

The former Manchester City man embodies leadership and provides so much experience.

Surely he will be getting offers from the Championship but if Sunderland can somehow pull this off, it would be a fantastic signing.