by Matt Newsum
Sunderland's high-profile friendly this summer comes with the visit of Dutch giants Ajax to the Stadium of Light in August.
Before that the Black Cats take part in a Portuguese friendly tournament involving Sporting Lisbon and Vitoria Setubal.
Roy Keane's men are also heading for Ireland where they will play Cobh Ramblers, Athlone Town and Shamrock Rovers, before returning to England for a trip to Nottingham Forest.
But who will be the men to watch?
BBC Sport tips the players to look out for from each of the clubs in action.
KLASS-JAN HUNTELAAR - AJAX
Although Ajax possess a wealth of stars it is difficult to look beyond Klass-Jan Huntelaar when choosing a 'one to watch' from their squad.
Tall, lean and two-footed, Huntelaar has scored 70 goals in 82 appearances for the Amsterdammers and, at just 24 years old, has gathered interest from a string of clubs, including Manchester United if press reports are to be believed.
It is a measure of the strength in depth for Netherlands boss Marco van Basten that the Eredivisie top scorer played one game in their Euro 2008 campaign, but Huntelaar has time on his side.
Along with PSV midfielder Ibrahim Afellay, Arsenal striker Robin van Persie and Real Madrid winger Arjen Robben, Huntelaar is just one of a crop of Dutchmen who have the potential to forge a successful future for their nation.
DERLEI - SPORTING LISBON
Brazilian striker Derlei was an integral part of the Porto side which won the Champions League under Jose Mourinho in 2004 and ended Celtic's hopes of Uefa Cup Final glory in Seville the previous season.
Often coming off the bench, the pacy striker teased defences with his skill and unpredictable style.
Derlei has played for all three of the 'big three' in Portugal, having listed Benfica among his clubs, and also enjoyed a profitable spell in Russia with Dynamo Moscow.
The 32-year-old is still a dangerous threat, particularly when combining with team-mates Joao Moutinho and former Middlesbrough man Fabio Rochemback, Derlei will cause Sunderland plenty of problems in the Albufeira sunshine.
MEJOLARO CLAUDIO PITBULL - VITORIA DE SETUBAL
With a name like Pitbull, it is easy to judge how this feisty 26-year-old Brazillian plays his football.
Aggressive, powerful and quick - in his bright orange boots he is no shrinking violet.
Pitbull's fierce shooting with Fluminense and Gremio in Brazil attracted the attentions of Porto in 2004-05 but the move did not work out and following a string of moves, Setubal have reaped the benefits.
Mejolaro's finest moment thus far has been in the Carlsberg Cup, Portugal's answer to the FA Cup, where he scored the winning spot-kick in their 3-2 penalty shoot-out win against Sporting Lisbon.
LEWIS MCGUGAN - NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Forest have spent big money during the summer on players such as Robert Earnshaw and former Sunderland man Andrew Cole but it is current squad member Lewis McGugan who stands out as the man to watch.
With skill, fearlessness and desire to win that bely his youth, the 20-year-old Long Eaton lad has become the latest product from the Forest academy to draw attention from big clubs.
With thoroughbred stamina and crisp passing ability, McGugan was a key factor in Forest's promotion push and showed his accuracy from dead ball situations with a string of stunning goals from free-kicks.
One thing is for certain, McGugan is a player who will relish a toe-to-toe battle in the midfield and the opportunity to upset reputations when Sunderland pay their visit to the City Ground.
KEVIN MURRAY - COBH RAMBLERS
Captain Kevin Murray went down in Ramblers folklore when he scored the goal which earned the Cork club the first piece of silverware in their 86-year-history, the League of Ireland Division One championship.
At 24-year-old Murray is no veteran but his presence in the side has been one of the key factors in Cobh's resurgence.
Despite their struggles since emerging in the top tier of Irish football, Murray has retained the scoring touch and his leadership will be vital in their battle to avoid the drop.
Cobh are enjoying their first season in the Eircom League since 1995 and no doubt former player Roy Keane will hope they welcome Sunderland to St Coleman's Park with top-flight status secured.
ERIC LAVINE - ATHLONE TOWN
Veteran striker Eric Lavine is one of Irish football's most charismatic talents, having entertained fans in the Eircom League throughout the last ten years.
The 36-year-old striker has made over 300 appearances during his career, including stints with Longford Town and Galway United.
Although now out of the top flight, Lavine has become an equally important and popular player for Athlone Town.
Lavine was a FAI Cup winner on two occasions and also represented Barbados during their qualifying campaign for the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.
GER O'BRIEN - SHAMROCK ROVERS
Full-back Ger O'Brien has become a regular feature of the side at Tolka Park.
Having picked up the club's Player of the Year award in 2007, the Dublin-born 24-year-old made a seamless transition to top-flight football and even caught the attentions of the Ireland national team.
Now an under-23 international, O'Brien has continued to impress and gained his second cap against Northern Ireland in May 2008 alongside team-mate Stephen Rice.
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