Transfer issues for Sunderland
Sunderland head coach Lee Johnson is eager to strengthen his squad in the January window, in what is set to be a pivotal month for the club's promotion ambitions.
Johnson is working closely with Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman and CEO Jim Rodwell to bring in additions, eager to add one or two ‘attributes' to his squad even though he feels the quality of his current options on the whole is very good.
Improving the variety of his team's attacking play is a key goal, but this is a notoriously difficult market in which to do business and the challenges for Sunderland are particularly acute this time around…
THE TAKEOVER: Johnson conceded last week that the takeover issue means he does not have 'absolute clarity' on what he can and can't do in the market this month.
An early resolution to the EFL ratification progress would clearly be a big boost for the club.
As Johnson has explained, the wait does not necessarily mean he can't do business. It's up to him, Speakman and Johnson to present any good options to the current owners in the interim and try to strengthen that way. Targets have been identified in the early part of the window and work has been ongoing.
The fluidity of the situation means that Johnson is at this stage not ruling out either permanent or loan additions.
The reality of the salary cap means that even with a takeover, the business Sunderland can do is limited.
INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES: One of the most notable comments from Johnson on recruitment came when he conceded last week that the new regime had not been left a great deal to work with.
It reflected the significant lack of infrastructure in the recruitment department, an issue for the entirety of the Madrox regime but one that has become particularly acute given that former head of recruitment Tony Coton is yet to be replaced.
Summer business did see a greater use of analytics (Arbenit Xhemajli, for example) but also relied heavily on Phil Parkinson and his contacts.
This is the model Speakman has been installed to move the club away from. The end goal is that Sunderland have an understanding of what profile of player they require in each position.
Alongside Speakman, a head of player recruitment (still to be appointed) will lead a team that will use data analytics and scouting to draw up targets ahead of each window.
At this stage, the head coach then becomes involved and will give his view. With his final approval, the club will then work on making the deals happen. The lack of infrastructure right now means that it can't really work this way, and Speakman has already said that Johnson's role in this window will be larger than it might be in future.
Johnson has established the positions he wants to strengthen and what attribut es are most important within that. Analytics are being used but the reality is that Sunderland's reach right now is not as wide as Johnson or Speakman would like.
THE SALARY CAP: Sunderland are operating close to the upper limit of the salary cap imposed in the summer, something worth considering even if the Kyril Louis-Dreyfus takeover goes ahead this month as expected.
They also have just one space left for a place over the age of 21 in their squad.
They could choose to leave a current senior player off their list and create space that way, while Johnson has also spoken about using the loan market to bring in players under the age of 21.
Both are potential solutions, but the clear signal from behind the scenes is that there will need to be outgoings if Johnson is to complete his incoming business.
Thereare a number of players who have not seen much football since he arrived, but it's finding a financially viable suitor for those players that presents the key challenge.
It's been an issue over a number of windows and with finances across the division tighter than ever, it's another challenge to overcome.
CONTRACTS: One of the fears for Johnson is an approach for players who he would not want to lose.
The vast majority of his squad are out of contract this summer and to an extent, this reflects the reality that regardless of how this season ends up, there will be significant turnover as the Black Cats move into a new era.
Contract management has been poor since Sunderland dropped into League One, though, and there are a host of players who in an ideal world would have committed their futures long before now.
This is another area where takeover uncertainty has seen a resolution delayed, and where Louis-Dreyfus and his team will have to quickly get up to speed.
Johnson, Speakman and Rodwell have held talks over the situation and planned around it, but there has been no move towards new deals as of yet. Johnson therefore knows that he could be left vulnerable to a 'hard and fast move' for one of the players affected in the latter stages of the window.
Luke O'Nien, Jordan Willis, Denver Hume are important players who would be difficult to replace.
Johnson feels the preparation done ahead of the window means that he is ready for whatever the month brings. He has also remained confident that the squad will be stronger come the end of the month, and the club's prospects of promotion improved.