Now that Regis Le Bris has been confirmed as their new manager, Sunderland’s attentions have turned to the transfer market and investing in the squad for the 2024/25 campaign, but there are likely to be further outgoings at the Stadium of Light before the transfer deadline.
There are bound to be a number of changes behind the scenes, with the futures of many players up for discussion in both the short and long-term, especially after the Black Cats finished 16th last season with a young squad, and many of those players will have ambitions of playing further up the footballing pyramid.
Here, we take a look at the most likely players to leave the club before August’s transfer deadline.
Jack Clarke
Jack Clarke is the star that’s most likely to leave Sunderland this summer, according to a report from the Sunderland Echo.
Players such as Clarke were always likely to be near-certain to depart the club this summer, amid ongoing links to the likes of Crystal Palace, West Ham, and Wolves, which have seemingly being going on forever.
No only that, but Clarke’s agent Ian Harte believes it’s unlikely that the player will put pen to paper on fresh terms, which could force the Wearside club’s hand this summer.
The winger has been nothing short of exceptional during his time at the Stadium of Light, contributing to the Black Cats’ promotion to the Championship as a loanee before joining permanently.
He has developed rapidly and become one of the most formidable attacking players in the division, all whilst playing a big part in plenty of the Wearside club’s recent success out of League One and during their play-off campaign two seasons ago in the second tier.
It’s no surprise that he has attracted plenty of interest from the top-flight in recent times, with Southampton also thought to be keen on the player. The 23-year-old’s contract expires in 2026 and with this in mind, the current window may be the best opportunity for the Black Cats to secure a big fee for the him.
Clarke has been destined to end up in the Premier League sooner rather than later for some time now, and his departure is perhaps the most inevitable above all others this summer.
Trai Hume
Should Sunderland sell Clarke, it will strengthen their hand in retaining other key young members of the squad. The Black Cats have a number of players aged under 25 who are likely to be of interest to the Premier League and beyond.
That includes the likes of Anthony Patterson, Daniel Ballard, Dan Neil, Pierre Ekwah and Trai Hume. The latter was ever-present for the Mackems last campaign, playing in all 46 of the club’s Championship fixtures, including an impressive 45 starts.
The 22-year-old is a dependable asset for both club and the Northern Ireland national side, but his days at the Stadium of Light could be numbered, with Premier League duo Aston Villa and AFC Bournemouth having been credited with interest in securing his services, per Football Insider.
The Black Cats don’t ideally want to part ways with a youngster who signed for them in January 2022, and went on to win promotion from League One in the same year, before establishing himself in the Championship.
While Hume would likely remain a guaranteed starter with Sunderland, the opportunity to move to the Premier League may not be something he is willing to pass up, so his current club must decide whether they are happy to sell him in the event that he wants to leave.
Elliot Embleton
Elliot Embleton has experience of winning promotion with Sunderland, but he found himself loaned out in the first half of last season to add another creative attacking option to Derby County’s ranks as they searched to get out of League One themselves.
He arrived at Pride Park already recovering from an ankle problem, and after just two appearances for the Rams, a torn thigh muscle put him on the shelf for the rest of the season.
Now, Embleton is back at Sunderland and in limbo with just a year left on his contract at his boyhood club, and both he and the club need to decide what is best for him heading into next season.
An extension appears unlikely as things stand, which could see his time in the North East come to an end this summer, and possibly with a move back to another third tier club.
Nectarios Triantis
A few of Sunderland’s young stars won’t be able to break into Regis Le Bris’ first-team plans this season, and may be better suited to a temporary or permanent home elsewhere.
Nectarios Triantis was among those last season following his loan to Hibernian, with the 21-year-old in need of more senior football next season, and a loan switch could be best for both him and the Black Cats once again.
He played in just three games following his summer switch from Central Coast Mariners and is unlikely to get further opportunities in the North East, given the other options available in Sunderland’s back line of a similar age, such as Jenson Seelt.
He is at an age where regular senior minutes are more beneficial to him than languishing in the Black Cats’ development side for most of next season, and given he has plenty of potential, game-time will be a major factor in 2024-25 when it comes to how Triantis is going to improve.
Jewison Bennette
Another player whose time hasn’t gone to plan at Sunderland so far is one of their wide players in Jewison Bennette.
The 20-year-old has been at the Stadium of Light since August 2022, when he joined the club from Herediano, a football team in his native country of Costa Rica.
Having featured just 20 times since signing, January saw him secure a loan move to Greek side Aris Saloniki, but it didn’t work out as he made just two appearances.
He needs regular first-team game time, preferably in England, for the next stage of his development if he is going to make it at the Black Cats.
Experience is going to be crucial for Bennette if he is to have any chance of starring in the future for Sunderland, so he should be requesting a loan move to a club closer to home, so his parent side can keep an eye on him next summer.
Failing that, if Sunderland want to cut ties completely, then surely there will be overseas clubs open to striking a deal based on his potential.
