Alious**Jewison Bennette’s Sunderland Future in Doubt After Deadline Day Move Collapses**
After a last-minute transfer to Charlton Athletic fell through on deadline day, Jewison Bennette remains a Sunderland player—but for how much longer remains uncertain.
The Costa Rican winger arrived at the Stadium of Light in August 2022 with high expectations, signing a four-year contract amid significant excitement. Despite showing early flashes of promise, his time on Wearside has largely been underwhelming. Now 20, Bennette has been completely frozen out of Regis Le Bris’ Championship promotion-chasing squad, not even making the bench this season. His only appearances have been for Sunderland’s under-21s, highlighting how far he’s fallen down the pecking order in a squad brimming with young attacking talent.
**Is Bennette’s Time at Sunderland Running Out?**
With Bennette clearly surplus to requirements, many are questioning why Sunderland didn’t secure his exit sooner. Speaking to *Football League World*, Sunderland fan pundit Jack Austwicke expressed his belief that Bennette’s time at the club should come to an end for the sake of his career.
*”I love Bennette, but yeah, I think it’s time for him to go,”* Austwicke admitted. *”He’s not going to get in the team—he’s unbelievably far down the pecking order. Obviously, we want him to do well, so it makes more sense for him to move on permanently. It’d be better for Sunderland to recoup some money, and for Bennette to play proper football elsewhere. He was an exciting signing at the time, but it really hasn’t gone as we hoped.”*
While Bennette remains a likable figure among Sunderland fans, it’s evident there’s no realistic pathway for him to reestablish himself as a first-team regular.
**Sunderland Struggles Impacting Bennette’s International Career**
Arguably the biggest casualty of Bennette’s stalled development at Sunderland has been his standing with the Costa Rica national team. Once seen as one of the country’s brightest prospects, Bennette made history in 2021 as Los Ticos’ youngest-ever player at just 17 years old. He even featured in all three of Costa Rica’s matches at the 2022 World Cup, one of only six teenagers to play in the tournament.
However, since 2023, Bennette has been absent from the national team setup. His limited minutes with Sunderland’s under-21s are doing little to convince Costa Rica’s selectors that he’s ready to contribute on the international stage—especially with the 2026 World Cup qualifiers looming.
To reclaim his place with Los Ticos and reignite his once-promising career, Bennette desperately needs regular first-team football, something that looks increasingly unlikely to happen at Sunderland. At just 20 years old, time is still on his side, but a fresh start elsewhere seems essential if he’s to fulfill his potential.
Alious
