They have massive amounts of Premier League experience between them
Sunderland have today announced their retained list in advance of the 2016/17 Premier League season.
The Black Cats confirm they have released the out-of-contract quartet of third-choice goalkeeper Steve Harper, centre-back Wes Brown and strikers Danny Graham and Steven Fletcher.
Both Graham and Fletcher spent the latter half of last season on loan at Blackburn Rovers and Marseille respectively, but they have not been offered new deals at the Stadium of Light.
On the other hand, Harper, 41, and Brown, 36, could both possibly retire from football after finding themselves without a club.
Retained
The main squad news for Sunderland fans came yesterday, as maverick centre forward Jermain Defoe penned a new one-year deal at the club.
That contract extension will see Defoe remain at the North-East club until at least 2019.
