Cats face massive rebuild exercise

SUNDERLAND face a huge rebuilding job over the summer with up to HALF the first-team squad likely to leave if the Black Cats slip into the Championship.

David Moyes said last week there would be a major turnover of players this summer, regardless of which division the Wearsiders find themselves in next season.

But with Sunderland 12 points adrift of safety with only six games remaining, the odds are stacked against survival, and relegation will increase the number of players departing – and therefore needing to be replaced.

The Black Cats have a first-team squad of 28 senior players, plus homegrown youngsters Lynden Gooch and George Honeyman.

From that 28, you can safely strip out the three loan players – Adnan Januzaj, Jason Denayer, and Javi Manquillo – none of whom are likely to return to Wearside next season.

And outcasts Adam Matthews and Will Buckley can also be disre- garded, with the former likely to be moved on this summer after spending the current campaign on loan at Bristol City, while the latter, currently on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, is out of contract at the end of the season and will not be offered a new deal.

Of the 23 remaining, seven are out of contract: John O’Shea, Joleon Lescott, Jan Kirchhoff, Seb Larsson, Steven Pienaar, and Victor Anichebe.

Of those, certainly Lescott, Kirch-