SEVEN players available on free transfers this summer that Sunderland should consider signing

Fraizer Campbell

Fraizer Campbell, since leaving Sunderland back in 2013, has endured a rather indifferent playing career and with the ex-England international shortly about to turn 30 he will be keen to secure a contract at a club where he can become a first-team regular for the remaining 'peak' years of his time as a player.

I see Campbell as a 'Dwight Gayle' type of signing for a Championship club - not quite good enough for the Premier League, but more than capable of being a threat in the second tier. His raw pace, energy and positioning means he'll score goals at that level and the only question really is over Campbell's fitness and ability to play a large number of games.

He's been linked in the last few weeks with the likes of Brighton and Huddersfield but with no guarantees over whether or not he'd be afforded regular football at either of those, Sunderland would surely stand a decent chance of attracting Campbell back to the club where he first, properly, made his name in football.

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Wayne Hennessey

Assuming that Jordan Pickford leaves Sunderland this summer, with Mika and Vito Mannone also possibly headed for the exit door, this could leave the new Sunderland gaffer with a number of slots in his squad to fill.

Wales international Wayne Hennessey is not what I'd call a top quality goalkeeper - certainly not in the bracket that Jordan Pickford finds himself in, anyways - but he has bags of experience both in the Premier League and the Championship, something that may be appealing to Sunderland as we search to bolster our depth in the goalkeeping ranks.

I'd not be entirely surprised if Hennessey actually stayed with Crystal Palace but should he opt to move on elsewhere, he'd be welcome at Sunderland - as an experienced, cheap back up option that gives us variety in a position where we may see a number of changes.

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John Ruddy

Now out of contract with Norwich City, Ruddy finds himself without a club for the first time in his career and if you believe what you read in the papers he's had offers from a host of Premier League clubs, with Brighton and West Ham reportedly interested in securing his services ahead of the new season.

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Had David Moyes opted to stay on as Sunderland manager next season I would have fully expected John Ruddy to become his very first signing of the new campaign.

Fortunately for us Moyes has gone, and with that perhaps went the potential of John Ruddy moving to the North East.

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Zeki Fryers

If you judged Zeki Fryers solely on the list of clubs he has played for in his reasonably short career you'd be suitably impressed.

Manchester United, Standard Liege, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace have been the permanent homes of the former England youth international, but having failed to make his name at any of those clubs he now finds himself out of contract and in the hunt for destination number five.

Bryan Oviedo has expressed an interest in leaving Sunderland if the opportunity to stay in the Premier League arises, which leaves David Moyes' replacement with some important decisions to make. Tommy Robson will no doubt return to Wearside following his loan at Limerick to offer competition for places, but it's fairly clear to see that another senior left back is needed.

Fryers looks an interesting prospect and at 24 he represents a risk worth taking. Athletic, quick and good at getting forward, his pace would be an asset to our side and in the Championship, with Sunderland, it could be his chance to finally stake his claim to a starting berth at a top club.

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Bruno Ecuele Manga

This is a fairly unlikely one, admittedly, but Bruno Ecuele Manga has been a standout performer in a Cardiff City side that has severely under-performed in recent seasons at Championship level and should Lamine Kone leave, replacing him with his former Lorient defence partner would, in my eyes, be a shrewd piece of business.

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As I said, though, Manga to Sunderland is perhaps very unlikely - with the player expected to move abroad to Turkey this summer - though it would be interesting to see whether he'd be willing to move to another Championship club after his stint in Wales with Neil Warnock's side.

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George Boyd

Burnley have made no secret over their desire to retain the services of George Boyd next season but the player's reluctance to sign a new deal with Sean Dyche's club has put a number of clubs on alert.

Whilst some may scoff at the idea of signing Boyd it's important to recognise that he's been a mainstay in a Burnley side that have completely over-exceeded expectations in recent years. He made 36 appearances last season and was part of the Burnley side that won the Championship in 2016, so his credentials when building a side capable of achieving promotion cannot be questioned.

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Yaya Sanogo

A slightly left-field suggestion, admittedly, but when analysing the free market you have to consider players are of a good age that have perhaps been let down for one reason or another by their former clubs, stunting their development in the process.

Make no bones about it - Sanogo's time at Arsenal can be described as nothing other than disastrous, but at the age of 24 he still has plenty of time to progress as a player, and with the Frenchman now fully over the injury problems that hampered him last season he could well be an asset to a Championship club looking to rebuild with youth in mind.

He's been linked to a number of Serie A clubs, most notably Genoa, but you have to imagine that Sanogo will not have a shortage of offers here in England either.