Sunderland have made a strong start to the summer transfer window but still have work to do
It has been a remarkable start to the transfer window for Sunderland, who have moved quickly after Jobe Bellingham's record sale to Borussia Dortmund to bolster their squad ahead of the Premier League season.
It has been exhilarating for supporters and and times hard to keep up with, six additions through the door before the opening pre-season friendly has kicked off. Not only that, but Sunderland have shown real ambition with previous record signing Didier Ndong now only just clinging on to his place in the top five.
So after a busy period, what's next for Sunderland and what should fans expect? Here, we take a closer look at all the key questions...
So what positions do Sunderland still need to recruit in?
Sunderland have done well to get the core of a squad in place ahead of their pre-season programme, with Kristjaan Speakman explaining this week the importance of getting the group united and organised in plenty of time to try and hit the ground running when the campaign begins.
In a number of positions Sunderland are building good depth and competition for places. The arrivals of Chemsdine Talbi and Simon Adingra mean the club have two genuine wide options on both flanks, while full backs and central midfield look far stronger following some significant incoming business.
It's clear that Sunderland are looking to add serious competition for Anthony Patterson in the goalkeeping department, but the search so far has been difficult. The club held advanced talks with OGC Nice and Marcin Bulka over a move for the 25-year-old Poland international, but he ultimately opted to join Saudi Arabian side Neom after they made a significant late push and put a big offer on the table. The club also look likely to miss out on the potential signing of Chelsea's Djorde Petrovic, with Premier League rivals Bournemouth now in advanced talks over a move. Southampton's Aaron Ramsdale and Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone have been mentioned as potential alternatives for Sunderland as they work through their shortlist of potential targets. The challenge they now face is ensuring they are adding both quality and value for money having missed out on some potentially high-calibre additions. Moving into the next phase of the window, it's very clearly a position to keep a close eye on.
Another area where Sunderland will have to recruit is in central defence. The club trust Dan Ballard and Luke O'Nien and both will almost certainly be given the chance to step up and prove they are Premier League quality, but adding both depth and competition is a must. Aji Alese offers cover and Nectar Triantis is back at the club following his loan spell at Hibs, but the former has had terrible luck with injuries over the last couple of seasons and the latter played his best football in Scotland as a holding midfielder.
Sunderland also need to recruit some additional competition up front, though both Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda will be given the chance to prove themselves at Premier League level. There is of course the possibility of adding further depth and competition in other positions as the window develops, but right now these appear to be the three clear priorities as Sunderland go about building a squad that can handle the rigours of a Premier League season.
What's Sunderland's financial position moving into the next stage of the window?
While there has been some debate externally about Sunderland's levels of spending so far this summer, it's important to put that in its proper context. Sunderland's wage bill is considerably smaller than most promoted teams who are generally in receipt of parachute payments, and so their future liabilities are smaller. They also enjoyed a profitable summer last time out as a result of Jack Clarke's sale to Ipswich Town, and that was even before the sales of Jobe Bellingham and Tommy Watson which banked the best part of £40 million before the club's incoming business began. For a club with a modest (relatively speaking) wage bill banking well over £100 million this season from TV revenues alone, their net spend is more manageable than might first appear. Sunderland’s cautious financial approach in the Championship means their losses were small than many clubs, meaning PSR rules are not currently any major obstacle to them investing in the squad and particularly after the Bellingham and Watson sales.
Still, it's absolutely the case that limitless spending is not the plan for the club this summer. They are well aware of just how big a challenge it is to stay in the Premier League as a newly-promoted club and are determined not to take major financial risks. If the worst does come to the worst, the club want to be lean enough financially to fully take advantage of their parachute payments if required. So while there is still some scope and room for some significant additions in the ballpark of what we have seen so far this summer, the procession of €20 million signings won't continue indefinitely. The plan was always to invest in a smaller core of high-calibre players this summer, to trust the core of last season's team and build out the squad from there. There are still some key pieces of the puzzle left to put in place, but Sunderland have clearly got through a significant chunk of their work.
What about outgoings?
In short, expect a lot.
Pierre Ekwah is expected to make his loan switch to AS Saint-Etienne permanent imminently, while Abdoullah Ba and Timothee Pembele have also been told they can leave the club. Further departures are inevitable, with some of last season's loanees such as Jay Matete potential candidates to leave on a permanent basis. There is then expected to be a lot of outgoing loans as Sunderland look to get game time for youngsters who they believe have big futures but who aren't quite ready for Premier League football, with Matty Young and Milan Aleksic two obvious candidates.
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