Mensah has agreed a season-long loan similar to the one which saw the 27-year-old impress on Wearside last term after joining from Lyon. He made 18 appearances in his first stint in the Premier League but saw his progress hampered by injuries. His arrival swells the number of defenders at the Stadium of Light with manager Steve Bruce having already snapped up Titus Bramble from Wigan. Bruce had always maintained he was eager to recapture Mensah but had to wait for a protracted agreement to be sorted. And the former Rennes man's impressive displays for Ghana at the World Cup also meant there was the chance other clubs would try to step in. Mensah will go straight into contention for a starting place when Sunderland open their campaign against Birmingham on Saturday.
