But only two of those recruits have commanded significant transfer fees, with Jozy Altidore and Emanuele Giaccherini both costing in excess of £6m.
Sunderland landed Modibo Diakite, Valentin Roberge and Cabral on Bosmans, Vito Mannone and David Moberg Karlsson were each signed for less than £2m, while the club had to pay nominal compensation to Le Havre for out-of-contract midfielder El-Hadji Ba.
Yet the total outlay from Sunderland’s recruitment drive is still approaching the £30m mark – from transfer fees, signing-on payments and agent costs.
A large chunk of that total was financed by the £11m sale of Simon Mignolet to Liverpool, while Sunderland also received £2m for Ahmed Elmohamady from Hull City.
And they further boosted their bank balance last week with the departure of James McClean to Wigan.
But it is thought that Sunderland received just £1m from the sale of McClean, who made his Latics debut in yesterday’s Community Shield against Manchester United.