And although Sunderland’s players are still a couple of weeks away from returning for the start of pre-season, we’ve already learnt a fair bit about the club’s planning for life in the Premier League.
Here are five key discoveries:
SUNDERLAND’S TRANSFER STRATEGY
Promotion brought with it one significant unknown, how would Sunderland approach the transfer window in preparation for their top flight return?
Sunderland’s model has worked a treat over the course of the last year or two, but how would it change now the Black Cats were back at the top table? Would it change?
“We need to make sure that we have the right level of player in the team, with the right game experience,” said Kristjaan Speakman when that very question was put to the sporting director.
“We’re acutely aware of that, we want to retain our principles and values, but sometimes, of course, you have to tweak the needle a little bit. You have to fully understand the environment you’re going into.“We were able to sign some players who we felt could adapt to the EFL, some people questioned us but thankfully we were proved right with some many of those players – that Chris Rigg could play, Jobe Bellingham could play, Romaine Mundle could play.
“We have to make sure we can apply the same principle to the next league, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll have the same background [Premier League experience].
“We feel we’ve got loads of talented players and it’s on them to come back for pre-season in the best condition possible to be able to play Premier League football, and our challenge is to then build the right balance from there. We’ll obviously be signing new players into the team, to ensure we have a Premier League team that can be competitive.”
So what does that mean? Well, Sunderland’s core philosophy will remain the same, they’ll bring in players who they believe can develop and perhaps be sold at a profit down the line. The difference now is they’ll be signing players for €15m rather than £1.5m.
CONTRACT SITUATION
Where contracts are concerned, Sunderland have two priorities – Dan Neil and Dennis Cirkin.
Both are moving into the last 12 months of their current deals and plenty of clubs are monitoring the pair’s situation.
Roma are interested in Neil, with reports from Italy suggesting the Serie A club are lining up a £15m bid, while the likes of Everton and West Ham have been linked in the past. Cirkin’s stock is also high, with the left-back having impressed last season, playing his way into the England Under-21 squad.
Speakman said: “We do a contract review right across the group at the end of every season.
“I think we’re in a strong position with the majority of the group this time around, especially with a lot of the players who have performed at a really high level.
“There are a couple there (Neil and Cirkin) whose contracts are reducing and we need to have a conversation around that and that will happen in the coming weeks. That’s part of trying to build the squad for next season.”
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BELLINGHAM CLARITY
Had Sunderland not win promotion, Bellingham’s exit was inevitable. What wasn’t clear a month ago was what the future would hold for the midfielder if the Black Cats went up.
But within 48 hours of Sunderland’s Wembley success, it became pretty obvious Bellingham would still be moving on. He was pictured in Germany meeting Frankfurt officials. A meeting with Dortmund soon followed and his older brother Jude’s former club went above and beyond in their efforts to charm Bellingham.
A personalised letter from their head coach and a gift in the form of an unreleased shirt with Bellingham’s name on the back were part of Dortmund’s efforts. But after convincing the teenager a move to Signal Iduna Park was the next best step, they then had to agree a deal with Sunderland.
Dortmund’s opening bid was €20m. By the time hands were shaken, that had reached €33, plus €5m in realistic add-ons. Sunderland also included a 15 per-cent sell-on fee.
The question now is, how do Sunderland plan to replace him?
WHAT NEXT FOR THE LOANEES?
Chris Mepham was one of Sunderland’s stars last season, impressing throughout the campaign and coming to the Black Cats’ rescue at Wembley when Luke O’Nien was forced off in just the second minute.
But what happens next for the Wales international?
Mepham has now returned to his parent club Bournemouth, where his contract is due to expire this month but the Cherries have the option to trigger a 12-month extension.
That’s an option they’re likely to take up, even if he doesn’t feature in the plans of Andoni Iraola. It at least means Bournemouth can then try and get some cash for the experienced centre-half.
As for whether Sunderland will be one of the clubs bidding, that’s unclear at this stage. Mepham is of interest to Sunderland, but he’s one of several central defenders currently being considered.
If it is decided that alternative targets boast a higher potential ceiling than Mepham – both in terms of playing ability and potential sell-on value – the club will move for them ahead of their former loanee. The same applies to Salis Abdul Samed, who has returned to Lens at the end of his loan deal.
FIXTURE HINT
The Stadium of Light will play host to the opening game of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, when England take on the USA on Wearside on Friday, August 22.
That is the week after the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
So if the Stadium of Light is geared for rugby on that second weekend, are we to assume Sunderland will be at home on the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign? You’d think that’s what they will have requested. We’ll find out for sure when the Premier League fixtures are released this coming Thursday.
