Sunderland are heading back to the Championship for the 2022-23 season following their victory in the League One play-off final over Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley a few weeks ago.

It's been a long time coming for the Black Cats, who spent four painstaking years trying to secure a passage out of the third tier of English football, coming the closest in 2019 under Jack Ross when the Wearsiders lost out to Charlton Athletic in the play-off final.

Three years later though and it was mission complete for Alex Neil, who took over from Lee Johnson in February when results were inconsistent at best at the Stadium of Light.

The Scot steadied the ship, losing just once between his appointment and the end of the campaign, culminating in jubilation at Wembley.

Now though, work has to be done to make sure the squad is ready for second tier football, and whilst a potential change in the boardroom in the coming months - with Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven set to sell their shares in the club - may not help matters, Neil and Sunderland should be very busy in the next few months.

Let's see some transfer scenarios that may crop up for the Black Cats in the near future.

Ross Stewart's Sunderland future was being speculated on long before the 2021-22 season finished after he filled into the scoring boots of the departed Charlie Wyke with major success.

Stewart ended the season with 26 league goals to his name, and that has attracted the attention of a plethora of clubs, including Rangers, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough amongst others.

With Sunderland now a Championship club though, they are well-equipped to hang onto Stewart's services - unless he refuses to sign a new deal, in which case things would become more complicated.

Sunderland thought they'd sorted their goalkeeping issues out last summer when acquiring Bayern Munich stopper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann on a loan deal for the season.

His performances in the first half of the campaign seemed to suggest that he'd be all set for a permanent switch to the Stadium of Light - however, Alex Neil favoured Black Cats academy graduate Anthony Patterson, who performed very well for someone with little experience of the EFL.

The 22-year-old though will need competition going into next season, and a new goalkeeper to challenge him will be a priority for Neil.

Speaking of priorities, Sunderland need one or two new strikers to either challenge or play alongside Stewart next season, and they are already in talks to try and bring Nathan Broadhead back to the club.

Broadhead's loan spell from Everton was successful, scoring 10 goals in 22 league games, but he was blighted with injuries during the campaign.

The 23-year-old has one year left on his contract at the Toffees, and with no sign of him breaking into Frank Lampard's first-team plans, he would be a fantastic addition to Sunderland's squad - providing he can stay fit.

Having seen his career not hit the expected heights, Patrick Roberts cut ties with Manchester City in January after many failed loan moves and ended up at Sunderland.

Despite a hit and miss regular season with the Black Cats, Roberts showed his true abilities in the play-offs and was arguably the best player overall in the three matches.

Roberts didn't hit the required appearance target to renew his deal automatically, but Sunderland are in talks to extend it either way, and whilst there will likely be interest from elsewhere, it will be important for Alex Neil to tie down the attacking midfielder.

The aforementioned Broadhead may not be the only ex-loanee returning to the Stadium of Light, as Sunderland have been linked with a move for Dion Sanderson.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers defender featured for the Black Cats during the 2020-21 season, impressing heavily under Lee Johnson, but after loan spells in the Championship with Birmingham and QPR this past season, Sanderson could be departing Molineux permanently.

Sunderland would surely be more-than happy to have him back, and he could be seen as a clever investment that profit could be made on years down the line.

Whilst Ross Stewart is the man that will likely attract the most attention, Dan Neil is another player that will likely see bids for his signature.

The academy graduate was appearing regularly in the first half of the League One season, scoring three times and assisting a further seven goals, but his game-time was sporadic under Alex Neil, who felt that the youngster had been burnt out by Lee Johnson.

A refreshed Neil could be a real asset next season, but he could still end up in the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur long-term admirers of his abilities.

It has been mooted by Alan Nixon that Sunderland will try to bring Jack Clarke in from Tottenham Hotspur once again on a loan deal due to the success he had in the last few months at the Stadium of Light.

The winger has had some unproductive loan moves in the past from Spurs, but he really found his feet at the Black Cats, even filling in as a wing-back occasionally.

Clarke definitely now deserves another crack at the Championship, where Sunderland will surely be happy to give him another chance.

Sunderland's new recruitment strategy last summer was emphasised when bringing in versatile right-back Niall Huggins from Leeds United.

The Wales under-21 international was a bargain addition on a free transfer, but he played just two times in League One before picking up what ended up being a long-term back injury - and then during his rehab a heel injury meant his season was curtailed, his last match coming in October.

Considering the length of absence he's had, Huggins is going to need a season of at least League One football to get up to speed, so a loan move to the third tier will most likely occur.