David Moyes has insisted that the prospect of playing for the "biggest club in the Championship" should help him lure new players to Sunderland in the summer.
The Black Cats are preparing for life in the second tier for the first time in a decade after a disastrous campaign this time around, spending 261 days in the bottom three come the final day.
Moyes confirmed last week that he intends to remain in charge at the Stadium of Light next season, and he is hopeful that bringing recruits on board to help with a promotion push is made easier by Sunderland's stature.
"Sunderland will be the biggest club in Championship, and that should help us attract players," he told reporters. "There are different parts to it - if you buy youngsters, there are no guarantees; if you buy senior players they help you initially but you don't get resale value - all these things are part of it.
"We have to look and see what is the best way to do it. The club's position over the last few years has meant that sometimes we have not been able to get the top player off the shelf.
"The wage bill is big, and it will be a problem next year too because it will affect what we are able to do. But what we need is players who are robust. If we are going to play 45-50 games next year, you need players who are able to play the majority of those.
"You need players who give you value for money by playing Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday-Wednesday nearly every week."
Sunderland face Swansea City in their final home game of the season on Saturday, before away trips to Arsenal and Chelsea.
Daniel Lewis
