Aji Alese

Alese defends with obvious physical presence, comfortable in aerial duels and one-on-one situations against forwards who might expect an easy afternoon against a younger defender. What separates him from a purely physical centre back is his left foot, which lets him pick out a longer pass or switch play in a way that adds genuine range to a Sunderland back line. He can also play at left back when required, adding to his usefulness across a squad managing a long season.

His path here took longer than most academy graduates, working through loan spells at smaller clubs to gain the minutes his early development needed rather than sitting on a bench waiting for a chance. That patience shaped a defender who reads danger calmly rather than panicking under pressure. Watch whether he can now turn that developing profile into a settled run of starts rather than continued rotation.