How every player Sunderland sold in the summer is faring this season

It was a big summer of change for Sunderland. Eager to kick on from their wholly impressive run to the Championship play-offs last season, transfer chiefs at the Stadium of Light made a concerted effort to strengthen a squad that was already buzzing with bright young talent.

In total, 11 new faces arrived on Wearside, but with so many incomings, it was always going to be the case that a few players left the club too. There were high-profile exits and low key loans aplenty, with departures scattered everywhere from Derby to Qatar.

But how are all of those summer exits faring now? We’ve taken a closer look below...

Ross Stewart

Let’s begin with the biggest exit of them all. For a while Ross Stewart might well have been the best on earth as far as Sunderland fans were concerned, but the Loch Ness Drogba will unequivocally not be taking them to the Premier League after having left the North East in favour of a switch to recently-relegated Southampton. Rossco himself is yet to feature for the Saints as he continues his rehabilitation from a long-term injury, but with his new club winning just two of their last seven outings, the striker must be wondering if he made the right choice after all.

Leon Dajaku

Dajaku never quite had the consistent impact on Wearside that he or Sunderland might have liked, but he did show flashes of his potential on a number of occasions, and after leaving the Black Cats on a free transfer over the summer has made a promising start with new club Hajduk Split. Two goals in seven league outings is a steady enough return, and in personal news, the 22-year-old is set to become a father for the first time.

Bailey Wright

G’day, mate! Bailey Wright might well be the nicest bloke to have ever pulled on the famous red and white stripes, and while his role in the first team diminished substantially during the latter stages of his time at the Stadium of Light, there’s no denying that he was a wonderful servant to the club. Now with Singapore Premier League outfit Lion City Sailors, the centre-back has had an eventful start to his latest adventure. Wright was shown a red card on his debut in Asia, but made up for his wrongdoing with a brace of goals in his first game back from suspension.

Carl Winchester

The man they call Winiesta made his loan move to Shrewsbury Town permanent this summer, and continues to a popular and versatile figure for Salop. The Northern Irishman has featured in all 11 of their League One outings so far this term.

Lynden Gooch

A departure that stung more than most, the Sunderland academy graduate, with his endearingly unique Californian-Mackem accent, left Wearside on Deadline Day after a lifetime as a Black Cat. Now with Stoke City, he has mainly featured as a full-back for Alex Neil’s side during the early stages of his Potters career.

Isaac Lihadji

Quite an odd one, this. Lihadji was parachuted in during the January transfer window, and was assumed by many to be the long-term replacement for Manchester United loanee Amad Diallo. Instead, he played just six times for Sunderland before being sold to Qatari outfit Al-Duhail. Still, at least he is getting more game time in the Middle East; the Frenchman has already featured more times for his new than he ever did in England.

Danny Batth

Ask most Sunderland fans, and they will tell you that they were very much against the notion of Danny Batth leaving in the latter stages of the transfer window. An experienced head who took an old school approach to his defending, the 33-year-old hardly put a foot wrong during his stint in the North East. A move to Norwich City was supposed to bring with it greater first team opportunities, but so far he has played just four minutes of Championship football for the Canaries.

Elliot Embleton

Elliot Embleton must fear he is cursed. After months out of action recovering from a broken leg, the midfielder secured himself a loan move to Derby County this summer, only to suffer a serious thigh injury that curtailed his stint with the Rams early. He is now back at Sunderland continuing his recovery.

Alex Bass

Since leaving Sunderland on loan, Alex Bass has played a key role in establishing AFC Wimbledon as early-season promotion hopefuls in League Two, and has been an ever-present between the sticks for the Dons this term.

Joe Anderson

Another Sunderland alumni now plying his trade with Shrewsbury. There is still the possibility that Anderson could return to the North East and carve out a career for himself, but at the time of writing, he will have to make do with plenty of minutes in League One.