The famous terrace chant 'who are ya?' is often sung by supporters to mock a member of the opposition's team.
However, for the first time ever next season at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland fans could be forgiven for bellowing it out at their own players. El-Hadji Ba? David Moberg Karlsson? How about Valentin Roberge? As good as they may turn out to be, with the greatest of respect they are not household names.
It is Paolo Di Canio's ninth addition, finalised earlier today, that has made people stand up and pay attention though.
While the majority of additions may be foreign (in more ways than one) to a lot of the Sunderland faithful, Emanuele Giaccherini is someone that many are already excited by.
It's a real coup for Di Canio and the Black Cats, who have landed the 28-year-old from Italian champions Juventus for a fee believed to be in the region of £6m.
© PA Photos
So, what exactly are the Wearsiders getting for their outlay then? Well, for a start Giaccherini is an Italian international that featured in all five of their matches at the recent Confederations Cup. He scored once and set up two goals for his teammates as the Azzurri reached the semi-finals.
The right-winger started his career with Cesena and played a major role as they gained promotion from Lega Pro Prima Divisione to Serie A in two seasons. Overall, he found the net on 23 occasions for the Seahorses.
Having helped Cesena preserve their top-flight status during the 2010-2011 campaign (scoring eight times), he was signed by Juve for around £2m. The Tuscany-born attacker, with pace to burn and a liking for a trick, scored three goals in both of his seasons with the Old Lady, collecting two league titles and a Supercoppa Italiana along the way.
But why leave Juventus? It's World Cup year, which has been the reason behind a number of transfers this summer. While Giaccherini is highly regarded at the Juventus Stadium, he is by no means an automatic starter.
To ensure that his place in Cesare Prandelli's squad is secured, regular football was a must. Who would have thought that Sunderland would benefit from an Italian international looking to seal his place in Brazil?
Liam Apicella
