ANTON FERDINAND expects Sunderland to be challenging for Europe next season – provided Steve Bruce makes the right moves in the transfer market this summer.

Bruce has spent the last 48 hours whittling down his list of targets after taking up his new position at the Stadium of Light on Monday.

Darren Bent, Lee Cattermole and Richard Dunne all figure prominently on his wanted list as he attempts to improve on a Black Cats squad that only avoided relegation from the Premier League on the final day of last season.

Ferdinand accepts the need for a change after a disappointing campaign, but after Fulham qualified for Europe nine months after flirting with the drop, the defender sees no reason why Sunderland should not follow suit.

“If we buy right, there’s every chance of fighting for Europe,” said Ferdinand, who made an £8m move from West Ham last August. “If Fulham can do it, we can. It’s not unrealistic to do it next season.

“We got (last) season out of the way, now it’s time to relax and prepare for next year.

“There is great potential here. It’s a massive club and it’s even bigger now we’re the only North-East club in the big time. That makes it even bigger.

“But we’ve got to make sure we don’t end up in the same situation again. Hopefully that won’t happen.”

Having impressed in his first season on Wearside, Ferdinand will be a key part of Sunderland’s squad next term, but Bruce will oversee a number of other changes as he prepares for the new campaign.

The new Black Cats boss accepts some players will have to leave, and Hull manager Phil Brown is hoping to take advantage by launching a £4m double swoop for Dean Whitehead and Paul McShane.

Bruce is likely to demand more than that, with Mc- Shane having cost £2.5m when he signed from West Brom in July 2007 and Whitehead having worn the captain’s armband during most of his time at the Stadium of Light.

But a compromise should be possible, with Bruce hoping to have completed a significant proportion of his summer trading by the start of pre-season training.

McShane will definitely be surplus to requirements after failing to force his way into the first-team picture in the second half of last season.

Premier League newcomers Wolves are also interested in securing the defender’s services, but Hull is his preferred destination after a successful loan spell at the KC Stadium.

Whitehead discussed his future with former Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia in January, but agreed to stay on Wearside and help the Black Cats battle against relegation.

He performed an important role in the second half of the season, but his future is the subject of considerable conjecture once more and Brown is ready to table a formal offer.

At least half a dozen players could leave Wearside this summer, with the likes of Anthony Stokes, Carlos Edwards and Greg Halford also expected to sever their ties with Sunderland.

Sheffield United are favourites to land Halford despite their failure to win promotion from the Championship, while Stokes has been linked with a move to Hibernian after the Scottish Premier League side appointed John Hughes as their new manager.

Hughes was Stokes’ manager at Falkirk when he scored 14 goals in 16 games during a loan spell from Arsenal.

■ Sunderland will open their Amsterdam Tournament campaign against Benfica at the Amsterdam ArenA on Friday, July 24 (ko 7pm). Two days later they will play Spanish side Atletico Madrid (ko 7pm).