Cats might have to be patient to sign quality players – Parkinson
on when next season will start, and whether fans will be allowed into ground, is key in settling budgets and beginning to execute decisions.
“The first thing we have to address is our own out-ofcontract players,” Parkinson said.
“Then in terms of new players the market will be difficult to read, but we have to make sure that we don’t play our hand too early and then find that a month down the line we could have brought in better quality players for the money we had available.
“In any given summer there’s a game of poker to be played, but this year even more so.
“I do feel that there will be players that will fall within our wage structure, when 12 months ago we wouldn’t have been able to get them.
“Everyone is in the same situation, but we have to try and make it work in our favour as far as recruitment is concerned.
“There’s a lot of careful thinking to be done and strategy to be worked out over the summer, but we have to use our budget wisely and make sure we get in the best quality players we can.
“That might mean we have to be patient and let the market work itself out for a few weeks.
“We need to have one eye on the players who are out there now.
“But also be looking ahead because there is likely to be a surplus of players from the Premier League and Championship that will cascade down.”
Sunderland currently have 13 senior players under contract for next season, though that figure includes Aiden McGeady.
McGeady is currently on loan at Charlton Athletic having been told he had no future at the club under Parkinson’s management.