BBC pundits Chris Sutton and Joe Hart react to Sunderland’s £150m+ transfer spend under Kyril Louis-Dreyfus
BBC pundit Chris Sutton says Sunderland have “given themselves an opportunity” to stay up after a stunning £150m+ summer transfer spend
Chris Sutton says Sunderland have “given themselves an opportunity” to stay in the Premier League after expressing his “astonishment” at the club’s £150million-plus transfer spending on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club.
Speaking alongside Joe Hart and the panel, Sutton praised Sunderland’s ambition after a record-breaking summer under sporting director Kristjaan Speakman. The Black Cats signed 14 new players in a £150million-plus rebuild designed to secure Premier League survival – a bold strategy Sutton believes could pay off.
Sutton said: “Well, the key thing is making sure that the players which come into the club, that they can sell on for a profit and Chelsea seem to be the masters of that. I think certainly for the promoted clubs this season, it's sort of encouraging in a way. For the last couple of seasons, the promoted clubs who have come up to the Premier League have gone straight back down.
“You see Sunderland, the moves that they're making, I'm absolutely astonished by their spending. But blimey, they've given themselves an opportunity of staying up. I think we've said before on here, the likes of Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa spent big and ended up staying up. And that's the justification of spending big and taking that gamble.”
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart also weighed in on the wider debate around Premier League spending and financial strategy. Speaking on Chelsea’s business model, Hart said: “I just can't work out what the issue is. If they're the rules and Chelsea are doing it, I'm not saying you've got an issue, but we're trying to get our heads around it. Chelsea have got their heads around it.”
He continued: “They're obviously very good businessmen. Football's great and we play the game and it's sporting and we shake hands, but it's a massive business. And if they've worked it out, they've got some of the best lawyers, some of the best people that money can buy.”
Sunderland’s £150m+ summer window included high-profile arrivals such as Granit Xhaka, Brian Brobbey, Simon Adingra, Robin Roefs, Lutsharel Geertruida and Nordi Mukiele. The ambitious strategy has drawn national attention – and, according to Sutton, has given Sunderland “a real chance” of staying in the top flight.
What other Sunderland-related news is there?
In other transfer news, Alan Browne has completed a season-long loan move to Middlesbrough and says the chance to be closer to home and help a “massive club” fight for Premier League promotion was too good to turn down.
The 30-year-old midfielder departs Sunderland after making 23 appearances last season, playing his part as the Black Cats secured promotion back to the top flight. But with opportunities expected to be limited under Régis Le Bris this season.
Browne says the move to Teesside made sense for a number of reasons. Speaking to the club’s media team after signing, Browne admitted his first emotion was relief: “Yeah, probably relief more than anything,” he said when asked for his initial reaction to joining Middlesbrough.
Browne explained why the move felt right for him at this stage of his career: “Well, I think for obvious reasons. It's close to home where I am at the moment. I've got a young family, so that was always going to make the move easy and it's a massive club.
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.
“It's a Premier League club if we're being honest and that's what I'm going to try to help get the club back to. They've made an amazing start so far, some good individual players. I had a brief chat with the manager who talked me into it as well.” Browne admitted he has been keeping up with Middlesbrough’s early-season form: “I watch the highlights every weekend, but I didn't get a chance to watch a full game. Hopefully that'll come.”
The Republic of Ireland international, who spent a decade at Preston North End before joining Sunderland last summer, says that experience shaped his entire career: “Oh, it was brilliant. I went from a boy to a man basically. It was life-changing for me at the time and I just grew as a person and a player throughout my years there and gained a lot of experience, which hopefully I can bring to the fort this club.”
Your next Sunderland read: Kristjaan Speakman gives inside track on deadline-day drama and the business still to be done at Sunderland