Sunderland begin their Championship campaign in less than three weeks time when they host Coventry City on July 31.
Alex Neil is slowly beginning to build and shape his squad for their return to the second-flight as he navigates Sunderland through their first pre-season under his management.
As ever in the summer window, there are plenty of ways to strengthen a squad and free agents often provide the cheapest way for clubs to add depth to their starting side.
Whether it’s young players looking for a fresh start, or experienced professionals searching for one last contract - there’s plenty of choice for clubs.
With that in mind, here, we take a look at 13 defenders that are still without a club having been released by Premier League sides this summer.
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