Sunderland boss Steve Bruce insists they enjoy a positive profile across Europe.
Bruce cites the arrivals of Stephane Sessegnon and Sulley Muntari as proof of their status.
He said: "The big thing we have got is we can attract them because we are at the right end of the table at the moment. The difficulty attracting them is if you are at the wrong end of the table.
"But if you are fighting for a European place, it makes your job a lot easier.
"Take Muntari, for example - you are not telling me last summer or the summer before, I would have been in a position to sign him?
"But because we are going well and the team is improving, he looks at it and thinks, 'Well, why not?', and when they get here and see the facilities and the stadium and the crowds we get, then it is a very decent place to ply your trade, believe me."
