Sunderland are a club renowned for their recruitment and development of young players, regularly signing unproven youngsters.
Sunderland could be a Premier League side by the time the transfer window opens in June. SAFC are in a play-off place with just seven games left in the season, however have a nine point gap to the sides above them.
The Black Cats had been keeping pace with the top three but have drifted away since the turn of the year. Despite that, the job boss Regis Le Bris has done has been excellent.
They look set to have a big turnover this summer no matter what division they end up in, with several players likely to leave the Stadium of Light. In recent years, Sunderland have signed many young players recently and could look to do so once again.
The likes of Pierre Ekwah, Dennis Cirkin and Aji Alese all joined the club as near unknowns.
With that said, here are three out-of-contract youngsters who Sunderland should eye to follow in their footsteps…
Brighton look set to release attacking midfielder Josh Duffus this summer and Sunderland could look to pick him up. The 20-year-old is an England youth international but has not had any experience of first-team football.
Duffus could look to fill the hole left by the outgoing Tommy Watson, who is now joining Brighton himself. The Seagulls have done plenty of business with Sunderland recently, with Watson following Josh Robertson to the south coast.
