Where the Cats stand and what to expect in this summer window
It has thus far been a quiet summer since that exhilarating Wembley win for Sunderland supporters, aside from the ongoing concern over the club’s still-muddled ownership structure.
So with pre-season beginning next Wednesday, where do the Black Cats stand and what can supporters expect from the summer ahead?
We take a closer look at some of the key themes…
ARE SUNDERLAND LIKELY TO SPEND TRANSFER FEES THIS SUMMER AND HOW COMPETITIVE WILL THEIR BUDGET BE?
I think they will, in certain circumstances.
We’ve seen them spend six-figure fees on players like Ross Stewart and Jay Matete, who they believe can develop and potentially draw a significantly bigger fee down the line.
Promotion to the Championship will definitely increase the leeway for those type of deals a little bit further and I’d expect to see one or two of those.
Sunderland have made clear, though, that they will not deviate from their model of moving towards sustainability in the long term.
Though promotion is of course hugely beneficial to the club financially, the increase in revenue is nowhere near as dramatic as moving into the Premier League.
Their budget last season would be one of the smallest in the Championship and though of course it will grow significantly this year, they will not be one of the biggest spenders by any stretch.
As such, there is no doubt that clever free agent and loan signings are going to be vital as the Black Cats adjust to the second tier.
I explored this in a piece earlier this week, which you can read here.
I expect Sunderland to be competitive, but also for this to be a season of transition. The importance of parachute payments in the Championship cannot be overstated, and they are long gone for Sunderland.
IS THE LACK OF BUSINESS A CONCERN AT THIS STAGE?
At this stage I’d say not really, no.
Clearly you want the bulk of your squad in place as early as possible and with pre-season starting next Wednesday, there are still significant gaps in the squad.
Sunderland will hope as a starting point to agree new deals with Lynden Gooch, Patrick Roberts and Bailey Wright. Wright was playing in the World Cup play-offs just last week, so is likely to now have a period of rest.
Generally, though, there has been very little movement in the market generally.
Championship clubs are still to do the bulk of their business, and the loan market in particular has barely moved. That will be crucial for Sunderland, but the top Premier League clubs are still making their own assessments on the players who will likely leave.
Clearly the sooner Sunderland can get moving the better, but you couldn’t say they are losing ground as we stand.
HOW BIG AN IMPACT WILLTHEOWNERSHIPUNCERTAINTY HAVE ON THE CLUB’S BUSINESS?
It’s still unclear.
The budgets, whether it be for another campaign in League One or a return to the Championship, had been broadly agreed even before the play-off final.
Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman said in the days after that Wembley win that they were being finalised at executive level that week.
So there seems to be a consensus of what Sunderland are working towards this summer, even if the speculation at ownership level is far from ideal. Supporters have rightly expressed their significant concern around The Fan’s Together Group, and are eagerly awaiting news on how the situation develops.
What we can say is that all shareholders have funding obligations so long as they are
the club, and that with LouisDreyfus in control regardless of what happens with the other shares, the plans and model will not change.
More uncertainty is nevertheless not what Sunderland needed
A satisfactory resolution would clearly be as big a boost to the club as the win over Wycombe Wanderers, particularly given the concerns surrounding the one publicly-named potential buyer to date.
WILL ANY OF LAST SEASON’S LOANEES RETURN?
It’s definitely a possibility. Sunderland want to bring Nathan Broahdead back, and were holding talks with Everton earlier this month to assess their plans.
Thorben Hoffmann has a new club, but Jack Clarke’s future remains uncertain and Sunderland would definitely be interested in that situation were he available again.
On Callum Doyle it is not clear at this stage.
What is definite is that the five loans are going to be crucial for Sunderland, and potential additions were being heavily scouted long
before promotion was confirmed.
ARE ANY KEY PLAYERS LIKELY TO BE SOLD?
There is significant interest in Ross Stewart, but Sunderland will continue talks over a new long-term deal on Wearside.
Dan Neil was also regularly scouted by top-tier clubs last year, but has a great chance in pre-season to push for regular Championship football.
Speakman said that there are ‘four or five’ players he believes, but in all cases Sunderland are relatively-well
protected in terms of their contractual situation.
So it’s a possibility, but it would take a huge bid to convince Sunderland.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH JACK DIAMOND?
Diamond had an excellent season on loan at Harrogate Town, which significantly bolsters his prospects whether it be on Wearside or elsewhere.
As it stands, he has a massive opportunity to impress Alex Neil.
Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts were Sunderland’s two starting wingers for much of the play-off campaign, but neither are currently reporting for duty next week (particularly in the case of Roberts, Sunderland want that to change and quickly).
Sunderland gave Diamond a new long-term deal in March of last year, which shows how much Kristjaan Speakman rates him.
Early pre-season looks like a good chance for him to make a mark, before a more definitive decision on the next steps is made later in the summer.
*Aston Villa would prefer Cameron Archer to be loaned to a promotion-chasing side in the Championship next season – according to reports.
The attacker is reportedly being eyed by multiple clubs, including the Sunderland following their promotion to the Championship, and Watford following their relegation from the Premier League.
Archer has experience in the Championship after spending the second half of last season on loan at Preston North End, where he featured regularly, making 20 league appearances and netting seven goals.
Archer returned to his parent club in May with Villa manager Steven Gerrard stating that he was going to have a look at the player during pre-season before making a decision on his future.
However, fresh reports from The Athletic state that Aston Villa would prefer Archer to join a promotionchasing side in the Championship following the attacker’s impressive spell at Preston North End, who finished 13th last season.