Sunderland AFC news RECAP: Lee Johnson up for award but Ross Stewart snubbed as Preston target ex-Cats, Sheffield Wednesday and Crystal Palace man

Sunderland boss Lee Johnson is also pleased the situation has been resolved, and now has competition at left-back following the signing of Dennis Cirkin.

“Our only regret is that this wasn’t completed sooner, but we are delighted to have retained another quality player to our squad,” said Johnson when discussing Hume’s new deal.

“He is a player that I’m very excited to work with because I see his strengths and his weaknesses, but more than anything I see a young man with high potential.

“If he is a good student and is consistent in approach, as he always has been since day one, then I believe we can iron out his flaws and turn his strengths into super strengths.

“He has a wonderful vehicle here with a great set of staff that want to help him in every way, so his challenge now is to keep improving.”

Hume told the club’s website:️ “I’m pleased to have signed a new deal after a long summer and now my focus is on working hard and getting back to full fitness.

“I feel in good shape and I’ve been back out on the grass for a while now, so it’s just about getting that match fitness under my belt and kicking on from there.”

Speaking to the SAFC Unfiltered podcast, Speakman said: “The planning for the window started last January and I think when we acquired Ross Stewart, we knew where Charlie was at the time and that Ross was going to have limited opportunity.

“We felt that first of all in the summer you wouldn’t have been able to get a Ross Stewart for the type of transaction we got him for in January. Therefore you are already planning for that next phase and trying to reduce the amount of work you are doing in the summer.

“I think you have to be a lot more diligent with your planning from a lot further out than just waiting until you get to the window opening in early July.

“I understand fans’ concern at the start of the window because naturally everybody looks around at what is going on and the norm is that people are signing players.

“We had a really clear idea about who we wanted to go for and we wanted to go for a smaller streamline squad of quality over quantity. When you do that you have to be really precise with those signings because you have less room for error.”

Sunderland’s Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman says planning for this summer’s recruitment drive started months in advance – with the club targeting quality over quantity.

The Black Cats brought in nine new players for the 2021/22 campaign – with seven of them under the age of 24.

Sunderland also allowed several first-team players, many of whom were out of contract, to leave the club as they rebuilt the squad.

Last season’s top scorer Charlie Wyke, 28, was one of the names who left Wearside, yet Sunderland felt they had a capable replacement in Ross Stewart, who moved to the Stadium of Light from SPL side Ross County in January.

Despite a strong start to the season, no Sunderland players were nominated for the League One Player of the Month award.

The four nominations included Oxford midfielder James Henry, Portsmouth’s Ryan Tunnicliffe, Morecambe striker Cole Stockton and Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Sunderland striker Ross Stewart is the division’s joint top scorer, along with Henry and Stockton, with four goals but wasn’t included on the shortlist.

Lee Johnson has been nominated for August’s League One Manager of the Month award – along with three other candidates.

The Black Cats have won four of their first five league games, beating Wigan, MK Dons, AFC Wimbledon and Wycombe and sit top of the table.

A 1-0 defeat at Burton was the only match Sunderland didn’t win in August.

Burton boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth and Leam Richardson of Wigan have also been nominated for the Manager of the Month award, with the winner set to be announced on Friday.

Harrogate Town’s Jack Muldoon has expressed his delight at the club’s re-capture of Sunderland attacker Jack Diamond on loan.

Diamond re-joined joined Harrogate on deadline day until the end of the current campaign.

The attacker helped the club win promotion from the National League at the end of the 2019-20 season

The talented winger signed a three-year deal earlier this year to secure his long-term future on Wearside, but the Black Cats want to ensure his game time is not limited this season.