Donald’s New Year resolution
ROSS CAN BOOST HIS SQUAD IN JANUARY - CHAIRMAN
STEWART Donald is confident there will be scope for Jack Ross to strengthen his squad in January, with players also expected to depart Sunderland in the New Year.
Black Cats’ chairman Donald says he and manager Ross have already discussed strengthening in ‘one or two areas’ to help the club in its bid for an immediate return to the Championship.
The new owners are working within a tight financial framework agreed with the EFL as part of the takeover approval process which means they must dramatically reduce the wage bill they inherited.
They have made major inroads into that but still need to bring the wage bill down further before they can add any more new signings, Donald backing up the point made by executive director Charlie Methven last week.
He said: “We have given the league a commitment we will stay within certain figures but we were cautious with that.
“We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to deliver the numbers and that way it has been a very pressurised six months to try and deliver the result.
“We have not brought the wage bill down quite as much as what we thought we would.
“In reality, one transfer window probably was not enough but in the rest of the club we have done really well and I think that should enable us to have the January we need.
“We have to stay within the framework but I think there will be a little bit of movement around anyway, with players who might depart. “Jack and I have already talked about strengthening one or two areas and I think we will be able to do that.”
Despite a summer exodus, and the subsequent departures of Didier Ndong and Papy Djilobodji, Sunderland still have a number of high earners on their books including Lee Cattermole, Bryan Oviedo and Aiden McGeady.
Of those three, Cattermole has proved to be a key part of Ross’ side and Donald added he cannot see the 30-year-old leaving in January.
Sunderland’s plans for the January window are progressing with head of recruitment Tony Coton still heavily involved, even as he recovers from a quintuple heart bypass operation he underwent at the end of September.
Donald said: “He is on the mend, sat watching videos of players and busy as ever. He is still working pretty hard.”
Jack and I have talked about strengthening one or two areas and I think we will be able to do that Stewart Donald