Sunderland are on the brink of making history as they approach the record for the highest spending by a newly promoted team in the Premier League. The recent acquisition of Nordi Mukiele from Paris Saint-Germain has pushed their total expenditure to approximately £141.5m ($192m), just £500,000 short of Nottingham Forest's record of £142m set in the summer of 2022.

Mukiele, a 27-year-old defender, joined Sunderland in a deal worth €11m, with an additional €3m in performance-related add-ons. The French international brings a wealth of experience, having previously played for Stade Lavallois, Montpellier, and RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, before his stint at PSG and a loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen last season.

Upon his arrival, Mukiele expressed his excitement about the new challenge, stating, "It's a new challenge and I'm happy to be here. I saw the atmosphere of the stadium, and this is something I really like. The fans are very important in football, and especially in Sunderland. I came here to fight for them. I see some good players and see their quality, so I believe that we can do something good together -- and when I say together, I mean the players, the fans, and the city. We will need everyone this season."

Sunderland kicked off their Premier League campaign with a 3-0 victory over West Ham on Saturday, setting a positive tone for the season. Their next match is against Burnley this coming Saturday.

This significant investment underscores Sunderland's ambition to establish themselves as a formidable force in the Premier League, leveraging both new talent and the unwavering support of their passionate fan base.