There's a huge season ahead in the Championship for Sunderland, who will be hoping to bounce straight back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

After former Manchester United boss David Moyes left earlier this summer, the pressure now lies on the shoulders of the Sunderland bosses to find a man that can guide them straight back into the top-tier.

We saw Aston Villa fall foul of the Championship curse last time out, as they struggled to even reach mid-table in a division that is getting tougher by the season.

But as with any side that comes down, Sunderland have an array of talent in their ranks and whilst some players are expected to leave this summer, there are some that will be more keen to fight it out to take the club back into the top-flight.

And here at the FLW, there's one man we think is more than good enough to do just that and that's £6million-rated defender Lamine Kone.

The Ivorian hasn't had a shortage of admirers in the past and it's clear that he's picked up quite a few fans during his time on Wearside. Big, bulky and commanding in the air, Kone has been solid at the heart of the Sunderland defence for some-time now and you have to wonder had he had better quality alongside him last season, whether the Black Cats would have faced the drop.

Of course, he's a player that will attract transfer attention this summer but if you look at him compared to some of the other players in this division, he's streaks ahead in terms of quality.

He's a man that the new manager, whoever that turns out to be, must try and persuade to stay at the club despite their relegation.

It's going to be tough but he's got the quality needed to lead his team straight into the top flight at the first attempt.

Sunderland fans, what have you made of Kone during his time at the club? Leave your thoughts down below!