A former Sunderland midfielder has assessed the challenges facing his old club during the summer transfer window.

The Sunderland squad does not require ‘major surgery’ during the summer transfer window as they prepare to compete in the Europa League next season.

That was the verdict of former Black Cats star Don Hutchison as he assessed the challenges that will face his old club when a historic campaign gets underway in August. Regis Le Bris and his side have provided one of the stories of the Premier League season after securing a seventh placed finish just 12 months after earning promotion back into the top flight with a Championship play-off final win against Sheffield United.

That ensured Sunderland will compete in European competition for only the second time in their history as they join the likes of Serie A giants AC Milan and Juventus and Ligue 1 club Marseille in the Europa League. Some have suggested that has left the Stadium of Light hierarchy facing a hectic summer transfer window as they look to boost Le Bris’ squad in a bid to cope with a busy fixture schedule - but Hutchison, who made over 35 appearances during a one-year stay on Wearside during his playing career, believes retaining the services of key players remains just as important as bringing in new faces.

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He told Spreadex Sports: “Numbers-wise, I don’t think Sunderland need to recruit too many players because last summer they had a really busy transfer window. As long as they can keep hold of Noah Sadiki, Granit Xhaka and Habib Diarra, plus the likes of Chris Rigg, they’ll have enough to have another great season.

“Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor were both great at the top end of the pitch, so maybe a wide player and a full-back would be where Regis Le Bris will look to strengthen. Then it’s a case of whether they can keep hold of Robin Roefs in goal, as I know there is talk of Chelsea showing interest in him.

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“I can understand fans may worry about the workload of these players, if they are going to have the strength in depth to compete in three domestic competitions and the Europa League, but they don’t need major surgery. They don’t need to bolster the squad too much, because they are still enjoying the dividends of the investments made last summer.”

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