Potential departures that could happen come January
Lee Johnson has regularly had to turn to U23 players to complete his matchday Sunderland squad of late, such has been the scale of the injury crisis at the club.
That will likely have improved by the time the January window opens, with Dennis Cirkin, Denver Hume and Corry Evans all expected to return over the festive period.
Johnson, though, has already been clear that he does not expect significant outgoing business.
Speaking last week, he said: “As a general rule, we’re obviously happy with our squad and we want to add, we don’t necessarily want to lose players, we want to add to our squad and make sure we come out of it stronger.”
Johnson was discussing the prospect of West Ham United potentially recalling Frederik Alves, which we mentioned in part one as a possibility in terms of outgoing business.
Beyond that, the departures are expected to be limited.
THE UNLIKELY DEPARTURES
There is certainly scope for movement, particularly in the category of players who will be entering the final six months of their contracts.
Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman has spoken of this squad rebuild being a three to four window process, and in the right circumstances they may well accept an acceleration of that in certain cases where the deal is right for all parties.
Given their regular status in the XI of late, Bailey Wright and Tom Flanagan will have a key part to play in the second half of the season before their future is assessed.
Similarly, Lynden Gooch is about to enter the final six months of his deal but remains integral.
Johnson (and Speakman) would be loath to lose any of that trio, unless it was on terms hugely beneficial to the club overall.
In a couple of instances, though, there may be decisions to make ...
ONE BIG DILEMMA TO SETTLE
In the goalkeeping department, certainly, one exit is likely.
Anthony Patterson made a significant impression on loan at Notts County earlier this season, a key part of a strong run of form that boosted their promotion ambitions.
It was a loan that made sense for all parties, given the size of the club at National League level and the style of play under Ian Burch na ll, who also has close ties with Sunderland goalkeeping coach David P reece( the pair worked together in Sweden).
A hip flexor problem for Lee Burge forced his return, though, and despite his return to fitness Patterson has retained his place in the matchday squad.
With six months left on his current deal, Burge may be tempted to look elsewhere for regular football.
It’s a difficult dilemma for Sunderland, though, as they see Patterson very much as a long-term contender for the number one spot and are eager to ensure he continues to get regular game time.
They held positive dialogue with Notts County at the time of his recall about a possible return , and that remains a strong possibility at the turn of the year.
A QUESTION TO REVISIT
Another player entering the final six months of his deal is Aiden O’Brien, who almost left the club on deadline day last time around.
Then, Johnson told the versatileforward that although he did not want him to leave, he could not guarantee him regularfootball and that if he wanted that guarantee, it might be best to assess his options.
The Irishman did and opted to pursue a loan move to Doncaster Rovers, where he would not only play more but do so in his favoured central striking role.
The deal fell through due to a paperwork error, and injuries have meant that O’Brien has had a part to play since then.
If Johnson and Speakman move to again to strengthen the forward line, though, and if Jack Diamond and/or Josh Hawkes are recalled , then the 28-year-old may again be forced to re assess his position.
Right now, the lack of depth in the squad means that Sunderland would surely not be able to sanction the departure of a dependable senior player – but that could well change in the closing stages of the window.
Beyond that, potential departures are likely to be limited to decisions over the next steps for a number of U 23 players.
THE U23 DECISIONS
Ollie Younger and Will Harris are two who right now are on the fringes of first-team actionand have been impressing senior staff.
But it is a distinct possibilitythat there will be no further cup games for Sunderland in the new year, and should they recruit fairly extensively in January, it could be the right time for a loan to ensure that the encouraging progress made is built on in the second half of the season.
Sunderland may also have a decision to make on Benji Kimpioka.
After returning from an unproductive loan at Southend United, Johnson threw down the gauntlet for the talented Swedish forward, urginghim to earn his place in the senior set- up.
He has responded with some encouraging U23 performances, and has played his first minutes in the senior set-up for two years.
Those cameos have drawn some praise from Johnson, who has urged Kimpioka to make an impression in the next six months.
Where there could be a call to make is that Kim pioka is another heading into the last six months of his contract, and so another loan seems to make little sense for any party, and this will also be the last chance for the club to recoup a fee of substance for the 21-year-old.
But that’s another call that could be guided by incoming business in the forward areas.