Big-money deals have turned heads on Wearside – but Sunderland must now focus on cutting numbers.
Sunderland are wasting no time this summer – and that’s a good thing. But amid the headline-grabbing arrivals and ambitious targets, Florent Ghisolfi and Kristjaan Speakman must strike a careful balance if the club is to emerge stronger – and stable – from what is shaping up to be a fiercely demanding transfer window.
Getting business done early can define a window. It sends a message to players, agents and rivals alike – Sunderland are serious. The club-record signing of Habib Diarra for £30million and the expected arrival of Noah Sadiki for £15million, potentially rising to £17.5million with add-ons, underline that ambition.
Add to that the free transfer move for Reinildo Mandava, formerly of Atlético Madrid and will command big wages given his top-level experience, and interest in Chelsea’s Djordje Petrovic, valued at £25million, and it’s clear the club are operating at a new financial level.
But spending is only half the story. To progress, Sunderland must now focus as intensely on who leaves as they have on who comes in. The reality is stark: if no players are moved on, the club will be carrying a bloated senior squad of more than 40 players into the Premier League. That simply isn’t sustainable.
The club’s recruitment committee – which includes Stuart Harvey, Ghisolfi and Speakman – has a clear challenge ahead. Trimming the squad is now a priority. Not just for balance, but to free up wages and create room for late-window loans or opportunistic signings that may emerge closer to deadline day.
There are obvious places to start. Nazariy Rusyn, Hemir, Jay Matete and Adil Aouchiche are among those who could be moved on. Others – like Pierre Ekwah – may attract permanent bids. Selling Ekwah could bring in a significant fee, while also creating midfield space and reallocating wages to areas of greater need.
Goalkeeper Nathan Bishop has already left, while Blondy Nna Noukeu has little future at the club. There’s no sense keeping four or five senior keepers on the books when only one can start. At full-back, decisions will need to be made on Timothee Pembele and Leo Hjelde, neither of whom are likely to feature regularly under Régis Le Bris.
In midfield, Abdoullah Ba and Jay Matete look surplus. Further forward, Ian Poveda has already been made available, and Adil Aouchiche is expected to move on permanently. None of this is personal; it’s simply the hard truth of Premier League preparation. Quality matters more than quantity.
Ghisolfi’s arrival from Roma wasn’t just about experience – it was about modernising Sunderland’s football structure. With Speakman remaining as sporting director and Harvey heavily involved in recruitment, the system is now under pressure to show it can manage both ends of the transfer equation.
The early signings have rightly excited supporters. Diarra and Sadiki are serious talents with real pedigree. But this isn’t Football Manager, squads can’t grow indefinitely. Every incoming player takes a place, a wage and a development slot. If Sunderland want to continue investing, they must also be willing to cut loose. Some exits will be straightforward, but others will require negotiation and strong decision-making. That’s the test now. It’s not just about building a squad – it’s about building the right squad.
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The early moves have been exciting and decisive, but the transfer window is a marathon, not a sprint. Sunderland's recruitment team are trying to walk the line between ambition and control. Get it right, and Sunderland could be heading into the Premier League with their strongest squad in years. Get it wrong, and they risk being over-resourced in the wrong areas – and under-prepared where it matters most.
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