AliousSunderland keep and sell list ahead of 2025/26 with ‘impressive’ ace sold and Chris Rigg kept at all costsThe upcoming transfer will be imperative for Sunderland to stave off relegation from the Premier League next season.
Sunderland secured promotion back to the Premier League, after an eight-year absence, following their Championship play-off final victory over Sheffield United.Transfer business has already been rife on Wearside, with Roma loanee Enzo Le Fee becoming a permanent Sunderland signing, due to the £20 million obligation-to-buy clause in his contract.
Jobe Bellingham has travelled to Germany for transfer talks with Eintracht Frankfurt, with his Black Cats departure seeming inevitable this summer in a nightmare scenario for the club.
As the Sunderland recruitment team prepares for the top flight return, EFL Analysis has dissected which of the current Black Cats squad should be kept and sold in the summer window.Sunderland keep and sell list after Premier League promotion
If Sunderland are to stave off relegation from the Premier League next season, then the club’s recruitment team must be cut-throat in their transfer approach this summer.
While the Black Cats possess several talents ready to make the step up to top flight football, there is equally a plethora of fringe players who must be moved in the window, to fill the squad with talent capable of surviving next term.Anthony Patterson was man-of-the-match against Sheffield United in the final and will be hoping to prove himself as Premier League standardTrai Hume was snubbed for a Player of the Season nomination, and given that he and Dennis Cirkin have both been tracked by Wolves, they should be capable of making the jump in quality.
Despite his club legend status, question marks remain over Luke O’Nien’s abilities as a Premier League player, increasing the speculation that Chris Mepham could be signing permanently following his impressive loan stint.
In midfield, homegrown talent like Dan Neil and Chris Rigg will be desperate to perform on the big stage, with their performances set to be even more important in the wake of Bellingham’s departureOn Rigg and Bellingham, Le Bris told the press this season: “I think they are really mature, they are young but really mature, because they didn’t show so far any weaknesses about their involvement in the club project… they are really impressive.”In the forward areas, goalscoring duo Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor should prove to be very difficult for top flight defences to deal with alongside left-winger Romaine Mundle.
However, the same can’t be said for Patrick Roberts, given his lack of goalscoring output over recent seasons, casting his top flight potential in doubt.
As well as the aforementioned current squad, there are a handful returning loanees that Sunderland must part ways with in the summer transfer window.Sunderland keep and sell list for returning loanees in summer transfer window
Sunderland have a handful of loanees, who spent time away from Wearside in the promotion campaign, set to return this summer.Nectarios Triantis has put himself in the shop window for next season after his stellar loan stint at Scottish Premier League side Hibernian, with his agent adamant he won’t be a “bit-part player”.
Abdoullah Ba, Nathan Bishop, Pierre Ekwah, Nazariy Rusyn, Luis Hemir Semedo, Timothee Pembele, and Adil Aouchiche are all surplus to requirements for now-Premier League Sunderland, and as such must be moved on to make room for a higher calibre of talent.
Sunderland have banked a staggering fee thanks to their promotion, and the club’s recruitment this summer could be the difference-maker between surviving, or instant demotion.
Alious
