Sunderland managed to bring an end to their four-year stint in League One at the end of last season as they managed to win promotion back to the Championship through the play-offs.

One figure that played a significant part in the Black Cats' promotion is Ross Stewart, who played more minutes in the league last season than anyone else at the Wearside club.

As the only player to feature in all 46 league games prior to the play-offs, the striker ended up scoring 24 goals in total, leaving only Will Keane (26) with more goals scored in League One.

With Alex Neil's side having started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Coventry City where they spent the majority of the game in front of their opponents, the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window could give the Black Cats the chance to add some extra firepower to their side.

One player that has been mentioned with a move to the Stadium of Light that could not only strengthen Sunderland's squad but also give Neil the chance to form a scary duo alongside Stewart is Matthew Hoppe.

After starting his career in his home country of America, the striker joined Schalke's U19 squad where he went on to score 12 goals in 60 appearances for the German club across their youth and senior sides.

The previous summer transfer window saw the 21-year-old make a move to Spain to link up with his current club Mallorca, who paid a reported fee of €3m (£2.5m) to sign him.

With only one start in five La Liga appearances last season, this could make a move to England to join a big club like Sunderland a tempting one for the young centre-forward.

To further highlight what sort of player he is, football talent scout, Jacek Kulig, described him as a "complete" forward, as well as including his finishing, instinct, heading, hold-up play, off-the-ball movement, composure and ambidexterity as Hoppe's main strengths.

Taking his previous goalscoring efforts in Germany and a hefty list of strengths into account, it would not only make him an ideal addition to Sunderland's squad, but also the perfect partner for Stewart.

That's something that would surely strike fear into many opposition defences, thus giving the Black Cats a great chance of having a successful season in the second division.