ADIL AOUCHICHE
Adil Aouchiche spent the second half of last season on loan at Portsmouth, scoring one goal and claiming one assist in his 12 league appearances. However, the midfielder’s campaign was prematurely ended in April when he fractured a bone in his wrist, and it is not yet clear whether he will be fit for the start of pre-season training.
There was no automatic purchase clause in his loan agreement, and the indication from Pompey sources is that the club do not want to sign the Frenchman permanently. The 22-year-old is contracted to Sunderland until the summer of 2028, but the Black Cats will be open to offers this summer.
ABDOULLAH BA
The French youngster joined Ligue 2 side Dunkerque on loan during the January transfer window, scoring one goal and claiming one assist in his nine appearances in the French second tier. He helped Dunkerque reach the promotion play-offs, where they lost to Metz.
Dunkerque’s sporting director, Demba Ba, has suggested the club would be interested in signing Ba permanently, but money is tight in Ligue 2. Regis Le Bris did not feel Ba was good enough for the Championship, so he surely has no future now Sunderland have been promoted. But will the Black Cats be willing to cut their losses on a 21-year-old with two years of his contract still to run?
NATHAN BISHOP
Goalkeeper Nathan Bishop had two loan spells last season, spending the first half of the campaign with Wycombe Wanderers before switching to Cambridge United on deadline day in February. His Cambridge spell was the more successful as he made 14 appearances in League One.
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Does the 25-year-old have a future with Sunderland? It seems unlikely. He enters the final year of his contract this month, and with Simon Moore having deputised for Anthony Patterson last season, Bishop could well be moved on.
BEN CROMPTON
A 21-year-old defender, Ben Crompton joined Tamworth on loan in November and remained with the National League side for the remainder of the season, clocking up 27 senior appearances and playing against Tottenham in the FA Cup.
His contract is due to expire at the end of this month, so Sunderland will have to decide whether to offer him a new deal or release him as a free agent, with clubs in Leagues One and Two potentially being interested in his services.
PIERRE EKWAH
With Le Bris having concluded that Pierre Ekwah did not form part of his plans for last season, the 23-year-old French midfielder headed back to his homeland to join St Etienne on a season-long loan.
He made 29 Ligue 1 appearances, but while he received praise for a number of his displays, he was unable to prevent St Etienne being relegated from the French top-flight. As a result, while St Etienne had an option to sign him permanently, they are unlikely to take that up, meaning Sunderland will have a decision to make over a player who is contracted for another two years.
LUIS HEMIR
In one of the stranger signings of last summer, Luis Hemir joined Juventus Next Gen (effectively Juventus’ B side) on a season-long loan last August. The striker spent the season playing in Serie C, but was hardly a roaring success as he managed just two goals and one assist over the course of 27 matches.
Juventus have the option of turning the 21-year-old’s loan deal into a permanent transfer, but the indications from Italy are that they will not be taking it up. That leaves Sunderland saddled with a player who is surely not ready to play in the Premier League, but who is contracted to 2028.
ZAK JOHNSON
Having spent a chunk of last summer on loan at Irish side Dundalk, Zak Johnson moved on again in January, joining Notts County on loan. He made ten League Two appearances as his temporary employers lost out in the play-offs.
Johnson only turned 20 last month and has one more year of his current deal to run. Sunderland could look to reintegrate him into their Under-21 set-up next season or send him out on another loan.
JAY MATETE
Jay Matete’s Sunderland career had already featured loan spells at Plymouth and Oxford when he left again to join Bolton on a season-long deal last summer. He made 18 league starts and 17 substitute appearances as the Trotters failed to make it out of League One.
Matete signed a four-and-a-half year deal when he joined Sunderland in January 2022, meaning he still has another year of his contract to run. He surely has no future at the Stadium of Light though, meaning the Black Cats will listen to any offers for the 24-year-old, who appears to have found his level in League One.
TIMOTHEE PEMBELE
French defender Timothee Pembele spent last season on loan with Ligue 1 side Le Havre, making 20 league appearances and scoring one goal as his temporary employers narrowly avoided relegation.
There was no purchase clause in Pembele’s loan deal, and Le Havre issued a statement at the end of last month thanking the full-back for his efforts and praising his ‘energy and talent’. Given he is just 22, Le Bris might want to have a look at Pembele in pre-season before deciding what happens next. He is contracted to 2028 and could have alternative suitors in France.
NAZARIY RUSYN
Having been unable to establish himself under Le Bris in the first half of last summer, Nazariy Rusyn was sent to Hajduk Split on loan in January. He made 17 senior appearances for the Croatian side, but failed to score a single goal as his struggles continued.
Hajduk Split have the option of completing a permanent deal this summer, but reports in Croatia last week claimed they have decided not to trigger the clause in the loan deal. Rusyn will therefore be returning to Sunderland, where he is contracted until 2027, with his chances of securing any first-team football on Wearside extremely slim.
NECTAR TRIANTIS
Of Sunderland’s 11 loanees last season, Nectar Traintis is the only player whose spell away from the Stadium of Light can be deemed to have been an unqualified success. The Australian completed a second loan stint at Hibernian and was shortlisted for the Scottish Player of the Year award thanks to his performances in defensive midfield.
Hibs want to sign him permanently, and the indications are that Sunderland are willing to sell a player who has two years of his Black Cats contract still to run. Given how well he played in the SPL, Hibs could face considerable competition for his signature.