Sunderland are yet to make a senior signing but the club are working hard on new additions behind the scenes
You could forgive Sunderland fans for feeling a little restless.
Twelve months ago, barely a day passed without an exciting new transfer rumour to dissect. In the end it was a summer like no other, the signings running into double figures and with a bill approaching £200 million. This time around, Sunderland's players have returned to the Academy of Light for pre-season training with what little transfer drama there has been focused on outgoings.
It was always likely to be this way and the relative calm amongst supporters reflects a confidence in the club hierarchy that has been hard earned over recent years. An expanded World Cup is having a knock-on impact on the transfer market, with many players delaying decisions on their futures until after their involvement in the tournament is wrapped up. The tournament has also pushed the start of the Premier League season back deeper into August, with clubs staggering the return of their players for pre-season and a touch more relaxed about how quickly they get their targets as a result. It's worth remembering that when Sunderland faced South Shields in their opening pre-season fixture last summer, the only new addition ready to feature on that day was Habib Diarra. A flurry of new signings did make their bow a week later when the Black Cats faced Sevilla in Portugal, but the club are nevertheless streets ahead in their general readiness for Premier League football one year on. It is no exaggeration to say that you could name seven or eight likely starters against Ipswich Town at Portman Road already, and the very welcome end to the Granit Xhaka transfer saga underlines the stability that the team will take into the new campaign.
This platform means that the job that Florent Ghisolfi has this summer is very different. Last summer Sunderland had to move quickly, knowing that quantity was as important as quality. This time around he is tasked with adding a small number of very high-calibre additions who can immediately challenge for a place in the starting XI and by doing so, build out of the depth of Régis Le Bris's pool of first-team ready players. While the demands of Europa League football undoubtedly demand a bigger squad, it's clear that neither Ghisolfi or Le Bris wants to move away from the club's policy of running a leaner squad where every player feels close to the XI and motivated on a daily basis as a result.
The dynamics of the deals are therefore different - Ghisolfi is juggling a number of targets in different positions and has to judge when is the right moment to commit to a deal. Move too soon, and you risk missing out on a better option further down the line. Of course, delay too long and you might lose a player who could have made an impact. It's a delicate balance, but Sunderland are relaxed that they are well placed for what will unfold in the month or so ahead.
The need for patience is heightened by the tricky financial rules Sunderland will face next season, with UEFA's own version of Squad Cost Ratio rules even more stringent than the Premier League's. While the club start off in a strong position to meet these rules as a result of their strong player trading an a significantly better than expected 2025/26 in terms of revenues, like every other side outside of the big six they simply do not have the headroom to spend huge fees over and over again. As such, Ghisolfi's margin for error with each every deal is smaller and the need for precision absolute.
Take for example the club's interest in AS Roma winger Matías Soulé. Sources vary on how realistic a signing this is for Sunderland this summer and to what extent their interest has thus far advanced, but as a very talented young player with top-tier experience who would immediately lift the level of the squad we can safely say he firmly fits the profile of what the club are targeting. It's understood that AS Roma would seek a fee in the region of £30 million, a sum certainly within Sunderland's reach but one that highlights the stake at play. Once you factor in amortisation, wages and agent fees, such an acquisition would almost certainly and quite comfortably hoover up the additional headroom that the club have created through Eliezer Mayenda's sale for the next couple of season's from an SCR perspective. At this level of investment it becomes absolutely imperative to get the right player, to ensure the risk of having to sell at an SCR-damaging loss somewhere down the line is mitigated as much as is possible. It's why Ghisolfi has described this summer transfer window as a marathon rather than last season's sprint, hinting that patience will be required across the board.
While the core of Sunderland's squad won't be back working together until sometime around the US trip due to the World Cup, it's clearly the case that the sooner the club can recruit the better. It's no coincidence that some of last summer's later additions took time to settle and most importantly to reach full match fitness, with the likes of Brian Brobbey, Lutsharel Geertruida and Bertrand Traoré taking a while to showcase their very best form. Time is always of the essence but with the core of their side now in place, this summer is the beginning of a new normal for Sunderland. It's less exciting and dramatic, sure, but it represents a club with much stronger Premier League foundations.
The bar to improve this team is high - and that means when the signings do eventually arrive there is going to be cause for excitement.
Continue Reading