Sunderland AFC news: Alex Neil's new salary 'revealed' amidst reports he could triple wage at Stoke City

The Black Cats will be looking for a new head coach, with Neil set to join Stoke City following talks with the Potters.

Neil was in the stands at Ewood Park as Stoke won 1-0 at Blackburn, with his Sunderland assistant Martin Canning expected to join the Scot at the bet365 Stadium.

The Black Cats took to the field without Neil in attendance against Norwich City. Neil left the Academy of Light on Friday morning after saying his goodbyes to players and staff at Sunderland’s training ground.

Speculation has circulated regarding the reasons behind Neil’s departure, with one report citing an increase in wages as part of Neil’s thinking.

A report from The Athletic stated: “We do not know exact figures but The Athletic understands that when Neil and others were being interviewed by Sunderland following Lee Johnson’s dismissal seven months ago, the salary on offer was approximately £350,000 per annum. That’s around £7,000 a week. They were a League One club.

“After guiding Sunderland to promotion, Neil’s salary went up too. He was given new terms in a rolling one-year contract.

“The figures are huge compared to supporters’ wages but, within football, managers will have known that at Stoke, O’Neill was on a multiple of Neil’s Wearside salary. His advisors will have known too – after all, he had been interviewed for the Stoke job in November 2019 before O’Neill was appointed.”