Lee’s message as he assesses Cats’ looming deal dilemma
Lee Johnson has told his Sunderland squad that their best chance of earning a new contract is to finish the season with a flourish and win promotion to the Championship.
The vast majority of the current Black Cats squad see their current deals expire in the summer, and amongst that group are some of the club's best assets.
Jack Diamond, Denver Hume, Jordan Willis and Luke O'Nien all come into that category and at this stage, formal talks have not been held.
It's one of the issues likely impacted by the ongoing wait for Kyril Louis-Dreyfus' takeover to be confirmed by the EFL.
Johnson, though, has also outlined how it is an issue that is impacted significantly by the salary cap rules introduced last summer.
Under those rules, anyone who signed a deal before their introduction is being calculated at a League One average of around £2,000 week.
Sunderland's issue is that when any player signs a new deal, they will then be counted in full towards the cap.
Failing to win promotion, then, will cause them major issues in meeting the cap for next season.
As it stands, there are no salary cap rules in the Championship, though it is a proposition that has been discussed.
If agreed, the cap would be at a significantly higher level than the one currently in place at League One level.
"For anyone in our squad who is over the salary-cap type wage, their best chance of getting a really good contract at Sunderland is getting into the Championship," Johnson said.
“If they do that, then they can get a Championshiptype contract. It’s as simple as that.
"What league we’re in next season changes everything. It’s an unbelievable change.
"In one sense, that’s a strength for us in the current climate because if we could be successful and we did end up realising that dream [of promotion], then it means we’ve got a really good slate to work from at that level.
"Obviously, in League One, if that was the case, then we would have to be very creative and make sure we nurture our own players.
"So, people like Dan Neil and Ollie Younger, who has come through, become really important, along with the loans you can get because the only spending power is with Under-21s.
“That’s the only way to flex your muscles, so if you stay in League One, you could end up with an Under-21 on x amount a week, and an experienced top-level player at 28 that you can’t pay any money to.”
As it stands, Championship clubs are governed financially by far less restrictive Financial Fair Play rules.
Under those rules, clubs are limited to losses of £13 million per season, calculated over a three-year period.
Johnson believes Sunderland are currently operating very close to the League One cap (with the wages of most players adjusted for this season as explained above), limiting his options in the window this month.
"It's a question really for the powers that be," Johnson said.
"My understanding of it is that there's a little bit of wriggle-room, but not an awful lot. It makes it difficult to plan."