Sunderland Transfer Deadline Day: Live

Whether you love it, loath it or just feel a sense of indifferent malaise towards it, the summer transfer deadline day is a huge part of modern football. For Sunderland today, it could prove to be one of the most crucial for years.

As we enter the final hours of the window, the squad still looks light despite seven summer arrivals. There are still two domestic loan deals to use and the Fabio Borini saga is - in the mind of Gus Poyet at least - still unresolved.

There is no shortage of links in the morning papers, either, with a plethora of names including Danny Welbeck, Jermain Defoe (we almost got through a window without being linked with him there...), Micah Richards, Toby Alderweireld and plenty others mentioned.

So what are we actually expecting? Well, the loan-to-buy deal for Rickey Alvarez should be tied up and announced fairly early. He has been in Sunderland a while and completed a medical. The Inter Milan midfielder will arrived on an initial loan deal with an obligation to complete a full transfer for a fee of around £8.5m next summer should relegation be avoided.

Elsewhere, it's the defence rather than the attack which dominates. Adding one defender to the squad is imperative, but adding two probably looks advisable. Liverpool's Sebastian Coates is widely expected to be the first, arriving on a season long loan deal which would once and for all represent the abandonment of hope of Borini returning. Toby Alderweireld is expected to join Southampton according to reports, and West Ham United are said to be rivalling Sunderland for the signing of Richards.

Whether there will be any further movement on forwards is a complete unknown, as is whether or not any actual money will be spent.

So stick with us throughout the day and we'll keep you fully informed. We'll just kind of filter out the madness and just leave you with what is relevant to Sunderland. Let's hope it's a good one!