Florent Ghisolfi has spoken for the first time about Sunderland’s plans for the summer transfer window
Florent Ghisolfi says Sunderland have started their preparations for the summer transfer window but has dropped a strong hint that a repeat of last summer's vast overhaul is highly unlikely.
BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport show was held live from the Academy of Light on Tuesday night, with Sunderland's director of football one of the guests. He was asked about the summer transfer window and said that while the club wanted to improve the squad they would follow the template of the January window in which they invested but on a more modest basis, recruiting three young players with significant room for future growth.
Ghisolfi added that investment in new players was only one part of the club's strategy to improve.
"We are working on the different scenarios but the most important is to know that we will stay in the league," Ghisolfi said.
"This is important for us to have clarity. Now, working on the organisation first, working on the facilities, because we need to anticipate and last summer was difficult for that. So now we have time and we are starting to work. For the summer, we will improve the team, of course, we'll try but you never know. We'll try but I think the stability will be the most important thing. The same idea as in the winter window, I think will be very important."
Ghisolfi was asked if sales were vital this summer and said that while they were inevitable in the long run, the club was under no pressure in the short term.
"The first thing is, you are right, that we want to build a sustainable club," Ghisolfi said.
"This is the first thing. The second thing is, we don't need to sell for that because of the Premier League resources. Of course, we will sell, sometimes, some players. Because also, we spoke about cycles in football clubs and with players, and I think it's important when we want to attract young and talented players, we need also to show that if they come to Sunderland it's not always the final destination. If they want to step up in a top club in the future of course we'll have to do [it sometimes], but we don't have the pressure for that."
Ghisolfi said that Sunderland wanted to stabilise at Premier League level but were focused on building on their foundations.
"This is the plan," Ghisolfi said.
"After, you never know. Because today, fighting for the relegation, you have Tottenham, you have West Ham, you have Nottingham Forest. They are clubs in the European competition this year or the last one. So they are big clubs. So I think when you perform and compete in the best football league in the world, you cannot have a clear plan, and say 'okay, we'll be top ten in two years'. Again, I think we need to be focused [foremost] on how we want to build, the values, the identity. And of course, I want that. I want stability also, like the fans.
"We want to stay, to become an established club in the Premier League and to be stronger. And if one year you will have a relegation, because it can happen, you will be stronger than before. But the plan is to continue to build, working on everything. Not only the team and the players, but on the facilities, the team, the staff, the academy, everything in the meantime."
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