Sunderland have endured a rollercoaster of a ten years – battling relegation in the Premier League, lasting only a year in the Championship, constantly underachieving in League One before finally making it back to the second tier.
While there has been constant changes at the club, on and off the pitch, one thing the Black Cats have always relied on is the loan market.
Sunderland will have fond memories of bringing in the likes of Danny Welbeck and Danny Rose, but they have picked up some terrible loan players since then.
Unsurprisingly, the likes of Jake Vokins, Laurens De Bock and Declan John don’t make this list, but thankfully Sunderland have also enjoyed some very successful loan arrivals.
Here is Sunderland’s eight best loan players of the last ten years…
Amad Diallo
Amad Diallo may actually top the list for our most successful loanee in the last ten years.
The most recent of all the players, the Ivorian made a slow start to life on Wearside but was absolutely exceptional when he found his feet.
Amad netted 14 goals and provided three assists in the Championship last season as he played a huge role in getting the Black Cats to the play-offs. It was no surprise that he was named Sunderland’s Player of the Year.
Fans will be hoping the 21-year-old can move back to the North East on loan again January and replicate his heroics all over again.
Nathan Broadhead
Nathan Broadhead ended in exceeding expectations during his time at Sunderland, playing a key part of the club’s promotion to the Championship.
The forward scored 13 goals in 26 appearances in all competitions, including winners against Cambridge United, Gillingham, Shrewsbury Town and Morecambe.
It’s unfortunate that the Black Cats didn’t manage to bring him back to the club, however he will remembered for his role in our final season in the third tier.
Dion Sanderson
Another player Sunderland had hoped to buy was Dion Sanderson, who enjoyed an excellent loan spell from Wolves during the 2020-21 campaign.
The defender was named as the Black Cats’ Young Player of the Year as he played 26 games in League One, though a back injury ended his season in April.
It is surprising that Sanderson didn’t manage to force his way into Wolves first team given his quality, but instead ended up joining Birmingham City permanently this summer.
Lewis Grabban
Lewis Grabban’s spell is quite a forgettable one due to how horrid our 2017/18 campaign was, as well as the fact he demanded to return to Nottingham Forest during the January transfer window.
However, there is no denying that he was brilliant for us in the six months he was on Wearside.
The striker netted 12 goals in only 19 matches in the Championship and was later replaced by Ashley Fletcher.
Yann M’Vila
Competing with Amad for the crown of our best loan player in the last 10 years is Yann M’Vila. The only thing that could have improved the Frenchman’s stint was if we had signed him permanently.
M’Vila was one positive during a terrible time for the club, making 37 appearances in the Premier League before fans were left infuriated that Ellis Short decided against making his stay permanent.
DeAndre Yedlin
Prior to the likes of Trai Hume and Dennis Cirkin, Sunderland had largely struggled in full-back areas. However, DeAndre Yedlin was one of a few impressive loan stars in that position.
The American made 23 appearances in the Premier League and was very handy on the attack with his rapid pace. Though he pretty much ruined his reputation on Wearside when he signed for Newcastle the following year.
Marcos Alonso
Marcos Alonso was another of the brilliant full-back loanees – and a much better one than Yedlin at that.
While the Spaniard sometimes struggled defensively, he was brilliant going forward and made a huge impact on a memorable season under Gus Poyet.
Alonso made 20 appearances for the Black Cats and formed a great relationship with the supporters, going onto declare his dislike for Newcastle even after his exit.
Ki Sung-Yeung
Ki was a very tidy midfielder during his loan spell from Swansea City, where he made 34 appearances, scoring four goals and providing three assists.
Fans were eager to see the South Korean make his move permanent until he suffered an injury and made his last appearance in April before effectively disappearing.