Sunderland are enjoying a magnificent start to the season on their return to the Premier League and no-one is as apparently giddy as Wes Brown, who genuinely believes their form fill be enough to “attract” a ￡70m Barcelona midfielder.

The Black Cats sit fourth in the Premier League having lost just two of their 11 games so far and took points off league-leaders Arsenal last time out, securing a 2-2 draw against the Gunners.

And having taken note of a hugely speculative reportclaiming Sunderland are preparing to pay Barcelona €80m [￡70m] to trigger Fermin Lopez’s release clause, Brown thinks the Spain international would welcome a move to North East England from Catalonia.

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Fermin was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea in the summer but snubbed their advances to fight for his place in Hansi Flick’s side, and that looks to have been a wise decision as he’s managed six goals and four assists in 11 games this term.

And yet “there’s no reason why” he wouldn’t move to Sunderland.

“Sunderland have had a brilliant start to the season; there’s some great characters in that team,” Brown told BetWright casino. “I don’t think that anyone would have expected it, maybe some of the Sunderland fans but you can just see the togetherness in the group.

“I saw Fermin Lopez linked to the club for 80 million, it’s a lot of money! But do you know what? They’re capable of attracting a player like that, if you’re still flying in the league, you might start thinking that you can secure a certain player.

“If it’s a player that isn’t happy with their current?situation and they want to come to the Premier League, there’s no reason why a player?like Lopez wouldn’t take that chance if Sunderland continue this level of form.”

Brown commented on the beginning of Sunderland’s season, stating that they must now look to finish as high as possible rather than settling for survival.

He said: “There’s no doubt Sunderland?were one of the main candidates for relegation preseason and that group would’ve seen that in the media, and it’s the type of thing that can motivate a team?like that.

“Those lads will want to show that that’s not the case, go out there and play the way that they know they can. They have some individuals that have done very well for the team, but they all look in it together and that’s what you need.

“They’ve got the belief that they can stand on their own two feet in the league. It’s gone past the point of safety for them now, they’re over halfway there on points and they can really look at how high they can finish.

“They’re a great team that are difficult to beat, and you must give credit to the whole setup.”