PHIL PARKINSON still hopes to make one more addition before the transfer window closes, but having watched his side thrash Aston Villa Under-21s 8-1 in the EFL Trophy last night, the Sunderland boss admits he is delighted with his summer business so far.

Sunderland scored eight goals in a game for the first time in more than half-a-century as they ran riot at the Stadium of Light, with a number of Parkinson’s summer additions making their mark.

Morgan Feeney, who arrived as a free agent after leaving Everton, and Aiden O’Brien, who was signed following his release from Millwall, both scored their first goals in a Sunderland shirt, while Danny Graham marked the start of his second spell as a Black Cats with a goal and two assists.

With Arbenit Xhemajli also gaining some much-needed game time after completing his move from Neuchatel Xamax earlier this week, Sunderland’s squad is taking shape. Parkinson still wants to make one more signing – a £500,000 bid for Argentinian striker Mateo Bajamich remains on the table – but the competition for places ahead of this weekend’s League One opener against Bristol Rovers is already intense.

“In terms of the numbers, we’re pretty close now with the signing of Danny,” said Parkinson. “We’re very pleased with the addition of Danny. He’s a goof forward player, and he’ll be a good role model as well for our younger players. He’s a good professional. Another addition will be great for us in the next week or so, but we need to make sure it’s the right addition to complement what we’ve already got.

“We want selection problems, and we want competition in all areas of the pitch. Is the squad there yet? No. Is it close? I think so.”

Sunderland were only leading 3-1 at the 75-minute mark, but they cut loose in the final quarter-of-an-hour, scoring five goals and Villa’s youngsters completely crumbled.

Parkinson was delighted with his side’s ruthlessness in the final third, and while the EFL Trophy might not be at the top of his list of priorities, the mood could hardly be more buoyant ahead of Saturday’s opening league game.

“We took tonight as an important match in our preparation,” said the Sunderland boss. “We’re trying to build a squad that can cope with the demands of the season, which is a month shorter and where the games come thick and fast. We should have a squad that means we can do well in this competition.”

Parkinson was especially pleased with the performance of his young players, with Feeney, Dan Neil and Jack Diamond all catching the eye.

“Morgan will be pleased with his contribution,” he said. “I’m pleased with him and there’s more to come. Dan grew into the game and did well, and Jack stuck to his task terrifically well. He’s getting a lot fitter, to where we need him to be for this level of football.”