Sunderland are reportedly looking to extend Romaine Mundle’s contract on Wearside
Not every positive piece of business that Sunderland do this summer is going to be a £20 million raid for a fleet-footed continental wunderkind that Leeds United have been tracking for weeks on end. It may feel that way at the present moment in time, granted, but trust me, there will be exceptions.
Take for instance, Sky Sports’ recent report detailing the Black Cats’ ongoing contract talks with Romaine Mundle. The winger shone in his unenviable role as Jack Clarke’s successor last season, and so much so that the national outlet claim Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven have taken a liking to him. They are, after all, only human. But pleasingly, it would appear that Kristjaan Speakman, Florent Ghisolfi, and their indefatigable team of recruitment minions are unwilling to let the 22-year-old leave without a scrap.
Despite his current deal on Wearside running until 2028, it is understood that Sunderland have adopted a proactive and preventative approach by opening negotiations on the subject of an extension. Once again, we are reminded of how far the club has come in recent years with regards to how it conducts its off-field affairs.
But while Mundle may be the player presently embroiled in talks, he is by no means the only name requiring some attention in the near future. The two most obvious candidates for new deals are, of course, Dan Neil and Dennis Cirkin. Like their attacking teammate, both played their part in dragging Sunderland back to the promised land last term, and like their colleague, you suspect that it is only a matter of time before suitors come a-knocking - especially as they have less than a year remaining on their contracts.
Within that precarious context, if either player were to snub an agreement, the most viable alternative would be for Sunderland to cash in sooner rather than later, and while the Black Cats’ ambitious recruitment drive would suggest that they plan on ensuring that they do not have to rely too heavily on last season’s Championship contingent, it is still incredibly difficult to imagine a scenario in which anybody on Wearside would be glad to see Neil or Cirkin depart the club. Surely, all efforts will be made to avoid that outcome.
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And while Speakman and co. are on the contract warpath, why stop at Neil, Cirkin, and Mundle? This time next year, it will be the likes of Trai Hume and Chris Rigg entering the final 12 months of their respective deals. Both are young players with immensely high ceilings of potential, and both have repeatedly graced the inky kerfuffle of the gossip columns in recent months too. If we’re nipping such speculation in the bud, start there.
Or what about Eliezer Mayenda? Alongside Mundle, he too is out of contract in 2028, but given the astonishing rate of his progression and the evermore frequent glimpses of excellency he began to show at the end of last season, tying him down to a longer, more robust agreement seems like an absolute no-brainer.
Of course, Sunderland will be acutely aware of all of this; again, the club is not the haphazard operation it perhaps once was. But it is worth reminding ourselves of just many of the Black Cats’ current crop are likely to garner admiration from further afield. If and when that does happen, the club must be suitably prepared.
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