Sunderland are working to balance their squad ahead of the 2026/27 season
Anthony Patterson is back on Wearside ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, working hard to ensure he is ready for the next chapter of his career.
Though Sunderland have huge belief in Patterson's potential, there is a recognition on all sides that his prospects of reclaiming the number one shirt are remote. Robin Roefs is firmly established as number one and recognising that their academy graduate needs and wants to be playing regularly, they moved early to sign his replacement in Melker Ellborg back in January.
That Patterson will likely be moving on this summer, then, is widely understood and accepted. As of yet, however, there has been no firm resolution and that's because Sunderland are facing a tricky dilemma in ensuring the terms of any deal suit them and fully reflect Patterson's ability. Sunderland rightly believe that any club who signs Patterson is gaining a huge asset, a homegrown goalkeeper who at 26 still has room to grow but has now amassed nearly 200 career appearances. Across five seasons he has displayed a very impressive consistency, regularly ranked in the upper cohort of EFL goalkeepers for save percentage. For any aspirational club, a goalkeeper with such proven consistency could be the key to realising their ambitions.
Sunderland will rightly be determined not to undersell, particularly as there is a very important SCR factor to consider. As with the old PSR rules, academy graduates represent pure profit on a club's accounts when they are sold. The new SCR rules average that profit over a three-year period and so if Sunderland can realise their valuation of around £8-10 million for Patterson, then they could potentially create around £3 million of headroom for the next few years. It's a strong position to be in, particularly with Ellborg ready in the building with low amortisation costs as a result of the modest fee Sunderland paid to sign him.
The problem for Sunderland is that due to his limited top-tier experience, the suitors for Patterson are mostly Championship clubs. Unless they land a transfer windfall of their own through a player, their willingness to spend that kind of sum on a goalkeeper when other positions demand such a premium is questionable. While a loan made sense in January when Patterson joined Millwall, protecting his value and allowing him to maintain match sharpness, it is less attractive this time around as Patterson has now entered the last two years of his contract. Loan again now, and Sunderland could be left in a very weak position next summer and particularly if for whatever reason the goalkeeper has not had the kind of success he would have liked. There are ways around this dilemma, with a loan that includes an obligation to buy in the event of promotion one possibility though that again risks Sunderland and the player being left back where they started this time next year. More likely is a smaller initial fee that then includes significant add-ons to be triggered if the player and his new club are successful.
Patterson understandably is thought to prefer a permanent move, allowing him to settle and hopefully kick on again. That would also suit Sunderland, but they may need to be pragmatic to ensure an outcome that satisfies all parties. Both Patterson and Sunderland may also have to be patient as interested clubs work to create the room they need to get closer to the club's valuation.
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