Sunderland fans have been lucky enough to watch the development of several brilliant players, and I want to see them stay at the club!
Everybody talks about getting to the Premier League. The land of milk and honey. The mythical promised land where broadcast riches flow and financial worries take a backseat, at least temporarily. It's said the Championship play-off final is worth £200million. One match. One chance. One game that could change a club's future.
Sunderland have not tasted Premier League football in eight years. That absence feels long, not just in time but in weight, in the heartbreak of relegations, in the rebuilds that faltered, and in the endless search for the right structure and the right people. Now, they stand one step away from a return, with Sheffield United the tough final obstacle.
And yes, the Premier League’s riches would be lovely. They would more than help Sunderland. Indeed, they could transform if spent correctly. But for me, that's not the real reason I want my boyhood club to win promotion at Wembley next Saturday. What I really want is this brilliant, youthful, and likeable team to stay together.
Because promotion isn't just about pride or prestige. It's about protecting something we’ve been lucky enough to watch develop over over past seasons: a young, hungry, talented squad built with care, patience, and a clear philosophy. Anthony Patterson, Dan Ballard, Dennis Cirkin, Trai Hume, Eliezer Mayenda, Chris Rigg, Jobe Bellingham, Dan Neil, this is a group on the rise. A group that’s easy to love. A group that’s still growing. A group with potential. And without promotion, the harsh reality is that Sunderland may struggle to keep them.
Denis Cirkin and Dan Neil will both be entering the final year of their contracts this summer. Naturally, that invites interest. Premier League clubs and ambitious sides abroad will be watching. Jobe Bellingham has already drawn attention from some of Europe’s elite, with price tags of £30million to £40million being floated. Chris Rigg, just 17, is one of the brightest prospects in English football. Without Premier League football, it becomes harder to keep hold of these players. And to be honest, Sunderland’s model doesn’t pretend otherwise; the club has never stood in the way of players wanting to test themselves at a higher level.
Promotion could change that. It could buy time. It could allow this special core to take the next step together, not apart. And they’d deserve that step. They’d deserve the chance to walk out at Anfield, Old Trafford, and the Etihad wearing red and white.
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Promotion would also secure the permanent signing of Enzo Le Fée, the stylish French midfielder currently on loan from AS Roma. After a difficult start due to injury, he’s begun to show his class, especially in the play-offs, contributing two crucial assists. His deal automatically goes through if Sunderland go up, and he looks like the kind of player who could thrive in the top flight under Régis Le Bris. Promotion could also mean the permanent capture of Bournemouth loanee Chris Mepham, though that would take some negotiating first.
This team might struggle in the Premier League. Most newly promoted sides do. They’d need investment, added experience and extra quality. But let them struggle together. Let them grow. Let them learn the hard way. Because this group has earned that right. So yes, I want the Premier League. But more than that, I want to keep the thing they have built, and see how far it can really go.
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