​Sunderland Director of Football Florent Ghisolfi on the pitch ahead of the Premier League match at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland. Picture date: Sunday April 12, 2026. (Photo by Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images) | PA Images via Getty Images At the end of the 2025/2026 season, as Sunderland’s players, fans and coaches basked in the elation of having qualified for the Europa League in the most thrilling fashion, Florent Ghisolfi was at the heart of the on-pitch celebrations, joining in the party with the likes of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Régis Le Bris – and why not?Along with Kristjaan Speakman, Ghisolfi had built a squad that proved good enough to stay the course and secure the club’s highest top-flight league position in twenty-five years.After a memorable campaign, it was a laudable achievement; a triumph of savvy recruitment and the mixture of youth and experience, as well as Le Bris’ ability to mould a diverse group of players into an efficient and ferociously competitive unit.As we fantasised about what lay beyond the summer and which continental heavyweights we would be welcoming to Wearside, it felt as though Ghisolfi had already cemented his place as one of the most effective operators to pass this way in a long time. Indeed, perhaps he even had a list to hand, filled with possible transfer targets and the calibre of player he’d like to add to the red and white ranks for 2026/2027.And yet here we are, a matter of weeks before another historic season begins, and we’re yet to make a major impact in the transfer market.Are people panicking? No, but ahead of the opening game against Ipswich, it’s not unreasonable to say that this has been a surprisingly quiet window for Sunderland, especially given how demanding this season is sure to be and the opportunities it could bring.One first-team player has arrived on a free transfer in the shape of the experienced Thomas Meunier, and he’ll doubtless establish himself as a solid and valuable member of the squad, given his trophy-winning pedigree and international experience.On the flip side, several good players have departed – most notably Eliezer Mayenda to Rennes for a chunky fee – and no further breakthroughs have been made yet, with protracted deals for the likes of Dayann Méthalie not completed, while fellow Premier League clubs continue to forge ahead and strengthen their squads. Not ideal, in my view.That said, to claim the picture is negative or that we’re heading for trouble would be entirely wrong.At the time of writing, despite fears that our best prospects are being cherry-picked following last season’s exploits and their efforts at the World Cup, the core of our squad remains strong and dynamic, filled with creativity and youthful zeal, and loaded with quality.A total overhaul was never on the cards this summer, nor was it needed, with Saturday’s victory over Ligue 1 heavyweights and Champions League-bound Lens offering plenty of encouragement about