Phil Smith considers Ross Stewart’s departure from Sunderland and what it might imply for the team going forward.
In the end, a compromise that “suited all parties,” according to Russell Martin, was reached.
Sunderland was faced with a decision because there was no longer any chance that a new agreement could be reached.
Ross Stewart either be sold now for money that can be used to reinvest in the team, or Sunderland can hold out hope that his goals will propel them to even greater financial success before he perhaps (or most likely) leaves on a free transfer next summer. Given Sunderland’s business strategy, the former was always going to be in the lead, especially after Stewart’s Achilles injury increased the risk of retaining him on staff.
If they had received lowball bids, they very well may have taken the chance. By coming back last week with an initial offer that made it evident they would eventually be willing to match Sunderland’s asking price by the time the transfer window closed, Southampton, however, transformed the situation. A player who is recuperating from an injury and might be available for
Southampton is taking a calculated risk with its bet. Martin outlined how they can be patient in getting Stewart back to full health because they have Che Adams and Adam Armstrong in their ranks. When that occurs, he will present a significantly different alternative than what they now have, and if he maintains his goal-scoring pace from last season, it may make all the difference.
If you get promoted, your investment is already insignificant. The stakes are not as high now that a sizable sum has been raised through departing transfers over the course of the summer, and it might eventually turn out to be a shrewd purchase considering that Stewart’s value would unquestionably be substantially higher if fully fit and under other contractual conditions.
Although Stewart’s prolonged absence recently may have lessened the impact of his leaving for Sunderland and its supporters, there is unmistakably a sense of a missed opportunity.
One of the better acquisitions the team has made in the modern age, Stewart was a true hidden gem. He left, though, for a division rival and the possibility of what might have been had he stayed for an additional 18 months, which is probably less than his entire value. The experience of the last three to four windows has demonstrated that these all-rounders are hard to find. Stewart can score but he can also run, press, and make it stick.
In terms of a new contract the deal was there to be done, at least in principle. Stewart’s preference was to stay and commit his long-term future to the club. The striker, as Martin said on Saturday, ‘absolutely loved it’ in the North East. He basked in the glow of the supporter’s affections and was genuinely moved by the way his name was so thunderously sung on the terraces up and down the country. The long, hard years of Stewart’s journey to the top only served to underline his understanding of how special all of this was, to have this platform and this opportunity week in, week out.
That same journey to this stage, though, made this contract negotiation crucial. Sunderland have under sporting director Kristjaan Speakman proven to be pleasingly proactive on contractual matters, regularly getting ahead of the curve and reaching new agreements that reward player and protect club. Stewart was different on a couple of fronts. For one he is a striker, and financially the starting point is invariably different to any other position on the pitch. In they end, they are the difference makers in this game. It’s also true that Stewart was in a very different stage of his career and his life to so many of those who have signed new deals within the confines of Sunderland’s strict wage structure.
He does not have a number of long-term contracts in the works, unlike so many of Sunderland’s excellent young players. At 27, he won’t have endless possibilities to join the Premier League and take advantage of everything it has to offer. Additionally, despite rising through Scotland’s non-league system, he has not yet seen the same level of success in his career as players who came from elite academies.
If there was ever a time when the two sides could have come together, it was probably when Sunderland was promoted from League One. Both Stewart’s head coaches, Tony Mowbray and Alex Neil, were initially optimistic that a deal would be completed because Stewart was keen to sign. It seemed only a matter of time given his ascent and value to the team.
The moment had passed due to Sunderland’s failure or desire to reach that crucial number, and when Stewart started scoring frequently in the Championship, it was all but done. Teams with much larger budgets than Sunderland were going to be willing to offer him a deal that was significantly better than what had previously been offered.
In the months that would follow, the club would make some contact, but it would still only amount to a small portion of what would be offered elsewhere and, more importantly, what other elite Championship attackers would anticipate being paid.
The fact that the situation remained civil and didn’t escalate into a major public drama is to all parties’ credit and may be an indication that everyone involved understood that they were now inevitably taking divergent paths.
