Sunderland are facing uncertainty over Dan Neil’s future at the club

Dan Neil’s future at Sunderland remains a topic of heightened speculation.

The midfielder - captain of last year’s promotion-winning side and a stalwart of Regis Le Bris’ successful Championship campaign - has fallen by the wayside somewhat in the aftermath of a hectic summer transfer window, and has found himself supplanted in the centre of the park by a trio of recent arrivals: Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra, and Noah Sadiki.

As a consequence, Neil has made just two appearances so far this season - one in a doomed EFL Cup exit against Huddersfield Town, and one as at the very end of a battling 1-1 draw with Aston Villa in the Premier League. Those two glimpses aside, the 23-year-old has found himself rooted to the bench.

And to complicate his situation further, the question of his long-term future continues to loom large on Wearside. At the time of writing, Neil is still yet to put pen to paper on a contract extension at the Stadium of Light, and as such, as things stand, he is destined to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.

For his part, head coach Regis Le Bris insists that the academy graduate still has a part to play in his plans. Speaking after Neil’s Premier League debut against Villa, he said: "It's really positive. And it shows that if you work hard and stay connected with what we are doing, you will have your opportunity. It was the case today so I'm happy for him. The players who came off the bench and showed their qualities. For the others, it shows that if they stay connected then they will have the opportunity to help the squad."

Even prior to that contest, he said: “I think Dan trains really well. He's still really involved and committed in the process. Until you play you don't know. For me I'm always positive because I've worked with young players all my life. They can surprise us. If the foundations are good and they're talented and work hard, they just need opportunities.

“The competition is running. In this position, he has the best just in front of him, which is positive for him and the squad, he just has to wait a bit. We need the full squad. We are taking care of everyone because we know at the end of the season every contribution will be really important, especially for this [Africa Cup of Nations] period because we know we will probably lose five, six or seven players.”

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What have Sunderland supporters said bout Dan Neil’s future?

But regardless of Le Bris’ comments, in the opinion of Sunderland fans, Neil’s time on Wearside may be approaching an end. As part of our Big Sunderland Survey, The Echo asked supporters: “Do you think Dan Neil will sign a new deal?”, to which an overwhelming majority expressed their doubts.

Some 67.6% suggested that they fear he will leave the Black Cats on a free transfer in the summer, while just 32.4% believe that he will pen an extension, and that he still has a big future ahead of him at his boyhood club.

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