The inside track on Sunderland's four deadline-day signings and what fans can expect

Sunderland finished the summer transfer window with four deadline-day additions, hopefully adding significant quality and competition to Tony Mowbray’s ranks.

So what can fans expect from the quartet and when can supporters realistically expect to see them making an impact?

Phil Smith gives you the inside track on all four deals and what happens next below…

MASON BURSTOW 

Sunderland had gone into the summer window primarily hoping to make permanent acquisitions up front, hence their recruitment of Luis Hemir and Eliezer Mayende.

Clearly, though, there was a need for extra depth as that pair adapted to a new environment and with Ross Stewart’s future uncertain.

The issue for Sunderland was that the domestic market for strikers was severely inflated, summed up by two potential targets in Ellis Simms and Tom Cannon moving for fees that could eventually hit the best part of £8 million.

The loan market therefore had to become an option, as Mason Burstow was one of Sunderland’s very top targets. The expectation, though, was that Burstow would not be available given that he was impressing Mauricio Pochettino during Chelsea’s pre-season programme.

As Sunderland endured a frustrating start to the season, Tony Mowbray pushed for the club to move to secure an addition before the high stakes of deadline day and the recruitment team agreed that moment had come. Jay Stansfield was one of those options, but instead opted to move to Birmingham City - where he has made an exceptional start.

So it was a huge boost when Burstow was made available by Chelsea, and the club then made a pitch to the 20-year-old and his family with a number of other clubs.

Burstow chose Sunderland and stuck to that even when AC Milan made a significant late move, seemingly convinced by Mowbray’s message that the Premier League environment of Wearside gave him a real chance to play his way into Chelsea’s future plans.

Quick, athletic and with an eye for goal, Sunderland feel Burstow is more than capable of playing and thriving as the team’s central striker. 

There are no guarantees in football and the youngster has not yet played in the Championship, but there is little doubt that he is here to play and to do so soon. It would be a surprise not to see him in the starting XI in the coming weeks, though for QPR Mowbray may be reluctant to change much from that exceptional performance against Southampton.

NAZARIY RUSYN 

Rusyn has been one of the club’s top targets throughout the summer window but the ongoing situation in Ukraine has made it an understandably complex deal to complete.

The forward did his medical tests in Paris last week as Sunderland went through his visa process, with reports in Ukraine stating that this is now fully resolved and that the 24-year-old is free to join his new teammates in full training.

Rusyn has a good level of senior experience and so there is an expectation that while a period of adaptation is inevitable, he can impact the team in the relatively near future.

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has also said, though, that the club feel he is a player who is still unlocking his potential and as such is still ‘up and coming to a degree’.

Like Eliezer Mayenda, he is more than capable of playing as a wide forward who offers a goal threat by driving infield from a wide position. As such, both will offer a different dimension to Mowbray’s options in the wide positions but are also capable of leading the line or playing just off Burstow. Sunderland feel Rusyn brings an instinctive eye for goal and the ability to beat players when he has the ball. He probably isn’t an orthodox number nine, but the Black Cats do think he’ll bring goals.

ADIL AOUCHICHE 

The attacking midfielder has played a lot of top-level football for a 21-year-old but had fallen out of favour at FC Lorient in recent times.

Sunderland saw this as an opportunity rather than a potential issue, believing that he has the attributes to potentially thrive in their possession-based, attacking style.

Aouchiche is strong at dribbling and creating chances, capable of playing almost anywhere behind the striker. He might play behind the striker at times, but has also been recruited with the belief that he could play off the flanks and offer a threat from there, as we have seen with Abdoullah Ba 

Speakman has also said that he believes Aouchiche will be able to play an eight (the more advanced central midfielder) in the current system, the role in which Dan Neil has impressed in the early weeks of the season. Clearly, he would be an ultra-attacking option in that position.

Aouchiche is fit and ready to go, though without any significant competitive football so far this season there will of course be a process of getting him ready to regularly impact Championship games.

TIMOTHÉE PEMBÉLÉ

Pembélé is a player who Sunderland believe has a huge future in the game and whose acquisition in time could come to be seen as a real coup.

There is also, however, recognition that it will take a bit of time to get the youngster up to his very best level. Pembélé has good Ligue 1 experience but an ACL injury suffered towards the end of an otherwise good loan at Bordeaux impacted his progress and though he did return towards the end of last season, he is still in the process of getting up to speed. Sunderland have devised a bespoke programme for the youngster to that end.

Pembélé can play most defensive positions, but is right-footed and so most comfortable on that side. He will pose an attacking threat but of the four additions, he may well be the one who needs the longest to start impacting the side week in, week out.