Sunderland fans enjoyed one of the most exciting transfer windows in memory and Kristjaan Speakman insists the club have been sensible in their approach

Kristjaan Speakman says that Sunderland are pleased with their transformative summer transfer window but insists that they have not taken any risks with the club's long-term future.

It has been one of the most exciting transfer windows in recent memory for Sunderland fans, with the Black Cats investing an estimated figure of around £150 million to add fourteen new players to their squad. It's a level of spending that reflects the huge gap between the Championship and the Premier League, but Sunderland's ambition has been greater than many imagined.

The club's sporting director said a change in approach was inevitable following promotion, but insists that the hierarchy remain conscious of the struggles Sunderland faced the last time they were relegated from the top tier. Their business has been structured to minimise such risks should Sunderland's campaign not go as hoped.

"Look, inheriting the club in the condition we inherited it in, in 2020-2021 season, every decision we've made over the last five years has had that context to it," Speakman said.

"We've always been optimistic around, well, there could be this, this and this, but also pessimistic around, look, if we get this outcome, that outcome, or this happens, then we just need to make sure we're making the appropriate decisions. So, we've done that on every transfer we've ever made, so it's part of the culture and it's ingrained in our system of making decisions. I've gone on record before to say that all the decisions, all the transfers we're making, we're never going to do that to put Sunderland in a position where it's going to be detrimental to the future.

"We're all talking about growth, we're talking about being a sustainable and competitive team in the Premier League, so naturally for that to happen, there has to be some changes in terms of how we operate. We recognise that, hopefully we'll see that in the direction of travel we've gone. But I think it's really, really important from a governance standpoint that we look after all those elements."

Sunderland's spending was also underpinned by their prudent approach to life in the Championship, which meant that they came into the top tier with significantly smaller losses and wage commitments than most promoted clubs. That meant their PSR concerns were minimal, allowing a lot of flexibility as they want about improving their squad. Speakman said the club have been mindful of ensuring that spend and structure deals in a way to ensure they can keep that flexibility for future windows.

"I think it's an important point that work that's gone on before over the last three or four seasons puts us in the position where we are able to make the moves we're making," Speakman said.

"If we'd have gone a different trajectory, a different style, maybe we'd have to do less. I think that would be fair to say. So we're really, really pleased that that strategy has elicited this outcome where we're able to make the moves we've made and put the team in the position, the club in the position it's at. And now we have to be really careful and understand what the implications are of every decision. And like I said, we've always done that with the utmost care."

Kristjaan Speakman reflects on Sunderland’s summer transfer business

Speakman said the club were pleased not just with the quality they've been able to bring in, but the depth they now have in the squad as a result.

"We're really pleased with the outcome," he said.

"We're really pleased with the players, the mix, the balance, the alignment, the compatibility and also the competition, because you need on the training field every day for there to be a competition for the places to be able to elicit the highest output performance from the players. And there's going to be things for the season where we're going to need depth, we're going to need the players that maybe haven't had the opportunity to play [yet] or haven't got in a team to be able to step in and for the level of team not to drop. That is going to be really important because the Premier League is a really competitive competition and we've seen in the opening games how strong the teams are and we're really pleased that obviously we've got some good outcomes so far."

Speakman also praised new director of football Florent Ghisolfi for his impact on the club's business this summer and while conscious of just how big a challenge Sunderland face over the course of the whole season, reflected on a positive summer off the pitch.

"I think that this challenge, and I've said lots to the guys in the building, you know, solving this problem at the Premier League will be a lot different to solving the previous problems of getting out of League One or trying to build a team to be competitive in the Championship," Speakman said.

"And there's a huge difference between the Championship and the Premier League. So for us, it's been about trying to adjust and adapt really, really quickly after the final. Make sure we understand what we're doing, why we're doing it, where we're going. Are we planned and aligned? I think once you're planned and aligned, you can then be really quick and effective in the market.

"Flo [Ghisolfi] coming on board has been a huge positive for us because we've been then able to do multiple deals at the same time because we've got more capability. And also what you've then got is you've got a really healthy mix of different opinions and discussions around players that you can quite quickly get to a consensus on, right, this is all we're going for. And I think that's good in any high-performance organisation to be able to do. We're really pleased with the output, and I think we've got some really, really strong players for the Premier League who supporters are going to enjoy watching.

"I think at the minute everyone's super excited, which is exactly what we want," he added.

"Everyone's enthused by the club. I think there's a lot of discussion nationally and internationally about where the team's at, the direction of travel the club's going on. That's where we always wanted the club to be. But time will tell. [We’ve played] Three games, we've obviously won two games. The team's performed really well, but we have to perform really well over a much bigger tranche of games, and that's where obviously the reflections will take place. We've got every confidence in Regis, who has signed a new contract and that was hugely important for us. A lot of confidence in the coaching team. We've built out the backroom team, if you like, and the support services to make sure that we can try to be consistent on and off the pitch, and hopefully at the end of the season we'll be reflecting on a positive outcome."

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