Sunderland are still looking to strengthen their squad before the end of the transfer window - while decisions will also have to be made regarding players already at the club.
While the Black Cats have agreed new deals with several of their younger players over the last year, there are multiple members of the senior group who have entered the final 12 months of their contracts.
Some of those may leave Wearside this summer, yet many remain a big part of Tony Mowbray’s plans for the 2023/24 campaign.
Here are Sunderland’s nine senior players whose contracts are set to expire next summer as things stand:
1. Danny Batth
A one-year contract extension was triggered in Batth’s deal last season, while the defender was named Sunderland supporters’ player of the year. The 32-year-old hasn’t started either of the side’s first two league games this campaign, while Blackburn and QPR have both shown interest in Batth this summer. Photo: Frank Reid
2. Lynden Gooch
Gooch’s versatility has proved valuable for Sunderland, while the American turned down other offers to sign a two-year contract extension on Wearside a year ago. The 27-year-old has fallen behind Trai Hume in the pecking order at right-back, though, with QPR and clubs in the MLS said to be monitoring his situation this summer. Photo: Frank Reid
3. Alex Pritchard
Like Batth, a one-year contract extension was triggered in Pritchard’s Sunderland deal last season. The 30-year-old has been a key player for the club over the last two years but has started on the bench against Ipswich and Preston this term. Mowbray has also admitted he expects Pritchard to leave the club before the end of the transfer window. Photo: Frank Reid
4. Ross Stewart
Sunderland have been in negotiations with Stewart for over a year about signing a long-term deal, yet the 27-year-old is now into the final 12 months of his contract. Stewart’s primary target is to recover from the Achilles injury he suffered in January, which has cooled interest from elsewhere. Still, the striker is targeting a return by the end of September and could attract a late offer this summer. Photo: Frank Reid