Sunderland, after returning to the Premier League in 2025 for the first time in eight years, splashed the cash in the transfer market.
The Black Cats spent more than £150m on new players, however, they also cashed in on a couple of Stadium of Light stars.
Here’s a look at Sunderland’s 20 biggest sales of all time, with a detailed view of the top 10.
1
Jobe Bellingham
£27.8m
Borussia Dortmund
2025
2
Jordan Pickford
£25m
Everton
2017
3
Jordan Henderson
£20m
Liverpool
2011
4
Darren Bent
£18m
Aston Villa
2011
5
Jack Clarke
£15m
Ipswich
2024
6
Patrick van Aanholt
£12m
Crystal Palace
2017
7
Simon Mignolet
£11m
Liverpool
2013
8
Tom Watson
£10m
Brighton
2025
9
Connor Wickham
£9m
Crystal Palace
2015
=10
Kenwyne Jones
£8m
Stoke
2010
=10
Ross Stewart
£8m
Southampton
2023
=12
Wahbi Khazri
£6m
Saint-Etienne
2018
=12
Asamoah Gyan
£6m
Al-Ain
2012
14
Stephane Sessegnon
£5.5m
West Brom
2013
15
Fabio Borini
£5.3m
AC Milan
2017
=16
Pierre Ekwah
£5m
Saint-Etienne
2024
=16
Paddy McNair
£5m
Middlesbrough
2018
=16
Don Hutchison
£5m
West Ham
2001
=16
Michael Bridges
£5m
Leeds
1999
20
Sebastian Coates
£4.25m
Sporting CP
2017
10 Kenwyne Jones £8m to Stoke, 2010
Starting the top 10 list is Kenwyne Jones, who moved to the Stadium of Light in 2007 from Southampton.
The powerful forward made just over 100 appearances for the Black Cats, scoring 28 times, and he appeared to love playing in red and white stripes, as the Trinidad and Tobago striker would go on to join Stoke City.
9 Connor Wickham £9m to Crystal Palace, 2015
Connor Wickham made more appearances for Sunderland than any of the other 10 clubs he represented during his career, with the forward spending four years in the north east.
Signed for around £8m, Wickham was sold to Crystal Palace in 2015 but would struggle with numerous injuries on the books at Selhurst Park.
8 Tom Watson £10m to Brighton, 2025
Sunderland’s playoff hero at Wembley against Sheffield United was Tom Watson, who’s last kick as a Black Cats player was a stoppage time winner to send the club up.
A deal with Brighton was already done which saw Watson head south for £10m.
7 Simon Mignolet £11m to Liverpool, 2013
Simon Mignolet’s first taste of English football came with Sunderland, with the goalkeeper costing just £2m back in 2010 from Club Brugge.
Steve Bruce was in charge at the time, and Mignolet would go on to make over 100 appearances before being sold for a tidy profit to Liverpool.
6 Patrick van Aanholt £12m to Crystal Palace, 2017
Two years after sealing a deal for Wickham, Crystal Palace called Sunderland again, this time to sign left-back Patrick van Aanholt.
After coming through at Chelsea, Sunderland was Van Aanholt’s next permanent home, costing under £2m. Three years later, the Black Cats made £10m on the speedy Dutch full-back.
5 Jack Clarke £15m to Ipswich, 2024
Jack Clarke got his career back on track at Sunderland following a failed move to Tottenham from Leeds.
The winger initially helped the Black Cats win promotion from League One and would spend two full seasons at the Stadium of Light before Ipswich Town offered him Premier League football in a deal worth £15m.
4 Darren Bent £18m to Aston Villa, 2011
Scorer of that beachball goal against Liverpool in 2009 at the Stadium of Light, Darren Bent netted 24 Premier League goals in his first season as a Sunderland player.
Costing an initial £10m from Spurs, Sunderland would only have Bent for 18 months, and after handing in a transfer request, was sold to Aston Villa for £18m.
3 Jordan Henderson £20m to Liverpool, 2011
Boyhood Sunderland fan Jordan Henderson came through the club’s academy and would go on to captain the Black Cats, making 79 appearances prior to his move to Liverpool.
The Reds paid £20m for the midfielder, who would go on to captain at Anfield, lifting the Premier League and Champions League.
2 Jordan Pickford £25m to Everton, 2017
Another Black Cats supporter who came through Sunderland’s academy to earn the club big money was goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
England’s number one only made 35 first team appearances at the Stadium of Light and was loaned out to six different sides as a youngster before Everton came in and offered £25m.
1 Jobe Bellingham £27.8m to Borussia Dortmund, 2025
Top of the list as Sunderland’s record sale is Jobe Bellingham, who followed in the footsteps of his brother Jude by joining Borussia Dortmund.
Bellingham made 90 appearances for the Black Cats, the last of which was the playoff final, and he scored 11 goals, leaving for just under £28m at the age of 19.
