What Kristjaan Speakman has already said about Sunderland's January transfer plans - and what fans can expect

The January transfer window is open and already the rumour mill has been in full swing regarding Sunderland and their plans.

Here, we take a closer look at what sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has already said about the window, and what fans can expect to happen as a result...

INCOMINGS

Kristjaan Speakman was asked at Michael Beale's unveiling as head coach late last month whether funds would be made available in the January transfer window to recruit a new striker given the ongoing struggles so far this season.

What he said...

"We certainly want to convert some of our dominance into more goals, and if you look at the team that Michael took at Rangers you are talking about a high-possession team that had to break down teams that played a low block, so there are a lot of similarities in terms of some of the more recent teams Michael's teams have played against," Speakman said.

"From a coaching standpoint he can come and sprinkle some more ideas about how we can be more effective there.

From a transfer window perspective, the club has always invested either in the short, but certainly in the medium and long-term, around trying to improve the quality.

"We'll continue to approach that, and we have been on with that piece of work since the [summer] transfer window closed and that will run alongside everything we have done in recent weeks."

What it means...

There has clearly been a focus on improving Sunderland's output in the final third as part of the process to recruit Beale, and part of his brief is to improve those players already in the building. Beale has said himself that he has some ideas to implement when there is more time on the training ground, suggesting that he thinks his side can be guilty of overplaying in the final third.

Nazariy Rusyn's goal against Preston is clearly a welcome boost and should earn him a run in the side, but it's known that Sunderland are looking to strengthen in the forward areas if possible. They are unlikely to diverge from their philosophy of recruiting players with a resale value from undervalued markets, and so any permanent additions will almost certainly be in that mould. One other option they have is to reshuffle their loan options, with summer target Jay Stansfield linked with a move last week. Such an addition may depend on the future of Mason Burstow, who could be recalled by Chelsea this month given his lack of game time. However, one complication is that he cannot then go on loan elsewhere as he has already played for two clubs this season.

Speakman's comments also make clear that Sunderland fans should expect more additions in the mould of their work through recent windows. Succession planning is a big part of how they work and though January is a difficult market, they will add long-term assets if they can. It is known that they were pursuing wide players up until the end of the summer window, and so that is one area for example that may be revisited.

OUTGOINGS

Speakman was also asked about interest in Jack Clarke and whether that would prove to be a difficult conundrum for the club in the January window.

What he said...

"I don't think it's a difficult conundrum," Speakman said.

"I don't know who first used the words 'the model', I think it might have been me and if it was I should probably check myself because that has come back every [time]. It's just about having a really well-organised organisation at your football club. The selling the players part is a by-product of doing well, and that should be on the choice of the club in collaboration with the player at a given moment. The football club has turned down numerous bids on numerous players over the last couple of years, and we have sold one player.

"I feel it is a slight misrepresentation around the direction of travel and what the objective of the club is because if we were a selling club, we would have made loads of sales - and we haven't. When players do really, really, well and they attract the attention of the Premier League outfits then naturally that is going to be a difficult moment.

"But our ownership has been rock-solid around that and I don't think we will be looking to trade players when we have that opportunity to get promoted."

What it means...

Speakman has been trying in recent times to challenge the view that Sunderland are a 'selling club', stressing how rarely they have let their best players go and how many bids they have knocked back.

The inference is clear: Clarke won't be sold in January unless there is a huge bid - though that of course remains a possibility. Sunderland are in a strong position given that Clarke has two-and-a-half years left on his current contract, and both parties are understood to view a January exit as unlikely at this stage. Given that talks of a new deal have not progressed significantly, that could change in the summer if Sunderland have not won promotion to the Premier League. Speakman's comments also apply to a number of other players who have been linked with a move, including Dan Neil and Pierre Ekwah. Sunderland's approach where possible is to get successors in the building before selling, and that hasn't really happened yet in those key positions.

Of course this can all change quickly if Premier League clubs make eye-watering bids, but significant departures at this stage seem considerably more likely in the summer window than the winter.