Sunderland A.F.C. Players: 2025-26 Squad, Ratings & Payroll

Sunderland’s return to the Premier League has brought record wages and fresh ambitions to the Stadium of Light. Here’s the full picture of the Black Cats’ 2025-26 squad—player ratings, payroll data, and the names that matter most to the club’s top-flight push.

Key Defenders: Dennis Cirkin, Daniel Ballard, Lutshareel Geertruida · Star Midfielders: Chris Rigg, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki · Main Forwards: Chemsdine Talbi, Brian Brobbey, Romaine Mundle · Payroll Data: Capology 2025-26 Table

A snapshot of data sources and key uncertainties provides context for the figures that follow.

Who is the highest paid player on Sunderland?

Sunderland’s return to the Premier League has driven wage expenditure to record territory for the club. According to Capology’s 2025-26 data, the estimated gross fixed salaries total £63,310,000 annually—or roughly £1,217,500 per week. That figure excludes performance bonuses and image rights, so the true matchday wage burden could run higher.

The single biggest earner on the books is Enzo Le Fée, who commands £3,510,000 gross annually, equivalent to about £67,500 per week. His contract runs for one more year, making him both the club’s highest-paid player and, in transfer market terms, a valuable asset with limited time left on his deal.

Payroll table insights

Sunderland’s highest-ever payroll came in 2016-17 at £47,772,800, during their last Premier League spell. The 2025-26 wage commitment of £63.3 million already surpasses that benchmark, marking a new financial high for the club. By contrast, their lowest payroll in the dataset was just £6,290,000 in 2021-22, during a Championship relegation battle.

The implication: Sunderland has committed heavily to a Premier League squad. Whether that investment translates to survival rather than another relegation fight will depend on how quickly the higher-rated players translate into consistent results on the pitch.

Spotrac data 2025-26

Alternative payroll estimates place Sunderland’s 2025-26 commitment closer to £67.4 million when all incentives are factored in, per Football FanCast’s analysis. Salary Sport’s US-based figures suggest a higher nominal dollar amount at roughly $100.5 million annually, though currency conversion and methodology differences explain the gap.

Who is Sunderland’s best player right now?

Rating the “best” player depends on whether you look at virtual game performance or real-world output. In EA Sports FC 26, Granit Xhaka holds the highest CM rating on the Sunderland roster at 74 overall, alongside Reinildo Mandava’s 74 overall mark as a right-back option. EA Sports places these two at the top of the card.

SoFIFA’s more granular FC 26 database, updated December 2025, tells a slightly different story—Nordi Mukiele leads the squad at 79 overall as a right-back, with Omar Alderete also at 79. Robin Roefs tops the goalkeeper rankings at 78+1, backed by 25 appearances, 78 saves, and 21 clean sheets across the 2025-26 season per ESPN’s squad log.

EA FC 26 ratings

The highest-rated players on EA Sports’ official Sunderland team page include Granit Xhaka, Reinildo, and Nordi Mukiele, all clustered in the 74 range. The club’s overall team rating in EA FC 26 Career Mode sits at 77, with Attack rated 76, Midfield 78, and Defense 78.

The pattern: EA Sports and SoFIFA often diverge on individual ratings, so cross-referencing both gives the most complete picture of where Sunderland’s squad stands.

Current form leaders

StatMuse’s performance tracking for the 2025-26 season lists Arthur Masuaku, Bertrand Traoré, Dennis Cirkin, and Granit Xhaka as top performers by their algorithmic ranking. These four have stood out statistically beyond their virtual ratings, combining consistent minutes with measurable contributions to chance creation and defensive solidity.

Who is Sunderland’s main striker?

Wilson Isidor leads Sunderland’s forward line by appearances, having logged 22 starts with 4 goals and 36 shots across the 2025-26 season, per ESPN’s squad data. The 25-year-old French striker has been a regular in the starting eleven despite not being the biggest name in the squad.

However, Brian Brobbey—24 years old and from the Netherlands—has shown higher per-minute efficiency with 5 goals from fewer appearances. Chemsdine Talbi rounds out the forward competition, giving manager Régis Le Bris three viable options who can each change a game’s outcome.

Wilson Isidor profile

Isidor, born in France, arrived at Sunderland with a reputation for physical presence and work rate. His 36 shots in 22 appearances show a player who gets into dangerous positions regularly—the conversion rate of roughly 11% points to areas for improvement, but the opportunities themselves signal his importance to the system.

Forward line key players

Beyond Isidor and Brobbey, Romaine Mundle and Eliezer Mayenda offer pace and width from wider positions. Chemsdine Talbi, listed in the squad’s forward rotation, provides a third option through the middle. Milan Aleksic and Nilson Angulo add depth on the flanks.

The catch: Sunderland scored enough to survive but not enough to threaten the top half. Their finishing consistency—from Isidor, Brobbey, and the midfield contributors—will determine whether this forward group is good enough for year two in the Premier League.

Who is the most famous Sunderland player?

Fame is a moving target, especially for a club with a 146-year history. Among current squad members, Granit Xhaka carries the highest international profile—33 years old, capped 116 times for Switzerland, and a player whose reputation extends well beyond Wearside. His signing signaled Sunderland’s intent to compete, not just survive.

Within the fanbase, players like Dennis Cirkin carry different kind of fame—thelocal boy made good story, a player who came through the academy and now anchors the left-back position in the Premier League. That resonance with supporters often outweighs trophies in the court of fan opinion.

Legends overview

Sunderland’s Legends’ Way initiative honors fourteen chosen legends, a programme that preserves the memory of players who defined eras—from Jimmy Montgomery in goal to Kevin Phillips up front. These names still draw the biggest cheers on matchday and anchor the club’s sense of identity.

Historical stars

Gaizka, Bobby, and the broader tradition of Wearside legends reflect what the club values: commitment to the shirt, memorable moments in black and white, and achievements that outlast individual seasons. For readers new to Sunderland, these legends provide context for why the club’s current ambitions matter so much to its supporters.

The trade-off: past fame can overshadow present achievement. The squad needs its own chapter, not just references to what came before. Sunderland’s 11th-place finish this season is a start—but legends are built over multiple campaigns, not single seasons.

Who is the biggest Sunderland legend?

Among the fourteen honorees in Sunderland’s Legends’ Way, Bobby has been named by multiple supporters’ groups as the figure who best represents the club’s peak era—someone whose records or moments defined what success looks like at Roker Park. The programme itself is the club’s formal acknowledgment that certain contributions transcend individual campaigns.

Jimmy Montgomery remains beloved for his goalkeeping heroics during Sunderland’s late-1970s peak, while Kevin Phillips symbolises the Premier League era’s first successful chapter. No single name dominates across all fan generations, but the Legends’ Way canon gives readers a reliable starting point for exploring the club’s heritage.

Legends’ Way honorees

The fourteen honorees were selected through a process that combined historical records, supporter voting, and club archival research. Each inductee represents a distinct era—from early professional football through to the Premier League years—ensuring the programme reflects Sunderland’s full history rather than just one golden age.

Fourteen chosen legends

What this means: the club has already done the work of canonising its greatest figures. Readers looking for the “biggest” legend should start with the Legends’ Way plaques outside the Stadium of Light, where the club’s official narrative lives in bronze.

The catch: fourteen figures make the Legends’ Way canon, though the specific names shift depending on which source you consult. The common thread is longevity and impact: players who gave their best years to Sunderland, won significant honours, or delivered moments that still come up in match-going conversation decades later.

What this means: the club has already done the work of canonising its greatest figures. Readers looking for the “biggest” legend should start with the Legends’ Way plaques outside the Stadium of Light, where the club’s official narrative lives in bronze.

Capology (Salary Database)Estimated Gross Fixed Salaries for the 2025-2026 Season is £63,310,000, or £1,217,500 per week, not including bonuses.

Capology (Salary Database)The Highest Paid Player at Sunderland is Enzo Le Fée (Central Midfield) with an Estimated Gross Annual Salary of £3,510,000.

Football FanCast (Football News)Sunderland’s current wage bill for 2025/26 is an estimated £67.4 million, with Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fee among the highest earners.

Sunderland’s fourfold payroll increase following Championship promotion tells a story of financial ambition colliding with sporting reality. The club spent its way into the Premier League and finished 11th—a respectable mid-table standing that suggests the investment is working, at least in year one. For Enzo Le Fée, that means his £67,500 weekly wage comes with expectations of leadership in midfield, while Nordi Mukiele’s 79 overall rating signals defensive quality that should keep Sunderland competitive in the division’s lower reaches.

For readers weighing whether Sunderland can build on this season, the numbers point in a clear direction: the squad has talent, the wages are committed, and the ratings suggest the team is more capable than a typical relegation battler. Whether that translates to a push toward the top half—or a fight to stay up—depends on whether the forwards can convert more of the 36-shot opportunities Wilson Isidor alone is generating.