Sunderland’s transfer operation has rapidly become a well-oiled machine. Targets are identified long in advance of a transfer window opening, with multiple options being discussed at the same time, covering a range of different scenarios. Need an experienced centre-half to bolster the back four? Try one of these on the shortlist. A young central midfielder capable of developing under Regis Le Bris? Five are currently being forensically assessed.
Once a move is in the offing, Sunderland act swiftly, decisively and secretly. Meunier is an established international, fresh off playing for Belgium at the World Cup, who had been in transfer talks with Valencia prior to the Black Cats swooping in for him. His name had been plastered across multiple European media outlets in the last week. Yet prior to the news breaking that he was on his way to Wearside to complete a medical, there had been no whispers of Sunderland wanting to sign him. Within 48 hours of that news breaking, the deal will be done. No long, drawn-out transfer sagas here.
That is exactly how Sunderland operated last summer too. The Granit Xhaka situation was slightly different, with the need to persuade the Swiss skipper to jump ship from Bayer Leverkusen meaning it was always going to be hard to keep things secret. In general, though, Sunderland have succeeded in keeping things under wraps until a deal is pretty much past the point of no return, meaning that when whispers start emerging, confirmation of the transfer is generally only 24 hours away.
They can act like that because they boast strong alignment between the various elements of their recruitment operation, an engaged owner who is hands-on when it comes to transfer business, an incredibly well-connected director of football who is renowned as an astute deal-maker and a head coach who, while involved in the recruitment process, is happy to allow those above him to make the key decisions. It means Sunderland can be dynamic and flexible, pivoting rapidly if the need arises.
They are also prepared to say no. They did it with Jhon Lucumi when Bologna were unwilling to play ball. They pulled out of a £17.5m deal for Armand Lauriente last summer when things didn’t feel right. They very rarely make multiple bids for the same player or find themselves drawn into a bidding war. If a deal can’t be done on their terms, it won’t be done at all.
Now, compare and contrast with life at Newcastle. If their failed pursuit of Manzambi was a one-off, they could be afforded some slack. They had finalised a fee with Freiburg and agreed personal terms with Manzambi and his representatives. Had Amadou Onana not damaged his cruciate ligaments, leaving Aston Villa in need of a central midfielder, they might well have had a free run to sign the 20-year-old.
This is not an isolated incident, though. The Manzambi saga followed a grimly-predictable template that has come to map out Newcastle’s transfer dealings. News breaks that Newcastle are interested in a player long before a deal has been agreed with his club. A very public courtship plays out, with every bid that is tabled being reported in minute detail. There’s an inordinate amount of toing and froing between the two clubs and with the transfer target’s representatives. As time drags on, so rival clubs start to emerge onto the scene. Sure enough, the player ends up heading to one of those rival clubs rather than to Tyneside.
It had already happened with Victor Munoz this summer prior to the collapse of the Manzambi deal. It happened on multiple occasions last summer – Hugo Ekitike, Liam Delap, Bryan Mbuemo, Joao Pedro, James Trafford. All players that Newcastle wanted, and were linked with extremely publicly, but none of which they ended up signing.
Why are things still going so badly? Largely because everything Sunderland get right, Newcastle get wrong. Newcastle leak like a sieve when it comes to their transfer dealings. They’re unable to keep anything under wraps, and that damages them.
They don’t boast a well-oiled recruitment operation that has been refined over the last couple of years. Last summer, Newcastle didn’t have a sporting director or a functioning chief executive. Those posts are filled now, but it should be no surprise that they’re still playing catch-up in terms of the way they operate. The most effective transfer windows are mapped out two or three windows in advance. Newcastle haven’t been able to do that.
Then, there is the imperfect executive environment in which the Magpies have to operate. Key decisions have to be signed off by the club’s majority owners, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. That takes time and can be logistically difficult, which prevents Newcastle from being dynamic, flexible transfer operators. It seems to take the Magpies an eternity to make a decision on anything – building a new stadium and training ground, for example – which is never a good thing when it comes to trying to negotiate a fast-moving transfer situation. Is Eddie Howe always aligned with those around him? That appears to be the case with Ross Wilson, but it wasn’t when Paul Mitchell was sporting director and that was clearly a major issue.
Newcastle also appear to have a real problem with walking away from things. By the middle of last week, the strong suggestions are that Newcastle officials were becoming concerned that Manzambi had had his head turned. Yet they still ploughed on regardless until Aston Villa’s emergence left them with egg on their face. Publicly, Howe has repeatedly said he only wants players who are “100 per cent committed” to Newcastle. Surely, that means if red flags start emerging in transfer discussions, it’s better to say no at the earliest possible stage?
Admittedly, these remain early days in the current window. Sunderland have only made one signing and still have plenty more work to do. Newcastle have managed to bring in three players and could yet end the summer in an extremely strong position. For now, though, the two clubs continue to operate in a distinctly different manner. And one is unquestionably having more success than the other as a result.