HAWAY BIG SPENDERS

Black Cats really mean business

- 

EIGHT new signings, transfer record smashed and over £130m invested on a new-look squad.

Former 'Bank Of England club' Sunderland are well and truly back among the big spenders.

And yet such is the chasm between Premier League and the Championship, the Black Cats are probably facing a battle for survival to ensure their first topflight season in nine years isn’t a one-off.

Such is life for promoted clubs and particularly the playoff winners, who never seriously threatened the top two last term.

Like Sunderland, both Leeds and Burnley have splashed the cash, but the bookies have already written off the three of them as relegation fodder.

History tells us they may be right - just look at last season’s promoted clubs who kicked off their campaigns full of hope and anticipation but went down with barely a whimper.

It was the same 12 months earlier, with only Luton putting up a fight - and they're now playing in League One.