Phil Smith: Trai Hume transfer latest assessed and the key quotes fans should remember

It was perhaps one of the shortest transfer sagas of the summer.

Not so long after Sevilla and Everton had been linked with a potential move for Trai Hume, the defender spoke to the media while on international duty and made clear he had no desire to leave. If he was to depart, it would be down to the club. Given that it couldn't be more obvious that Sunderland see Hume as their starting right back not just for now but for a considerable time to come, it was hard not to think that this was basically case closed.

And for now, it still pretty much is. News broke on Monday of interest from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg and as per Sky Sports News, a fee of around £7.5 million would fall drastically short of Sunderland's valuation. It seems very unlikely that Hume's own stance has changed since those early weeks in the aftermath of the Wembley win, and indeed he told The Echo during the club's pre-season trip to Portugal that he was still fully committed to the club.

"Yeah [still the case]," he said.

"I don't think about that at all, I let my agent and the club deal with all that. I don't want to think at all about that, I want to focus on my football. And I've always said that I love my football here at Sunderland, so it really is as simple as that."

Ideally Sunderland would like to reward Hume with a new and improved long-term contract, which would draw a firm line under any transfer talk for the foreseeable future. Given his comments, it's safe to assume that this would also be Hume's preferred outcome. Crucially, though, Hume's current contract status means that Sunderland are under no pressure to sell at this point even if talks over a new deal don't progress at this stage. Hume still has two years left on his current deal, and the club have an option to extend for a further season should they need to.

In most areas of the pitch, Sunderland have been aggressive in their recruitment this summer and many of the stars of last season's promotion now find themselves potentially having to be patient in waiting for an opportunity in the starting XI. It's telling that Hume, and Dan Ballard to his right, have remained fixtures in Régis Le Bris's plans. There may well be competition and depth arriving before the end of the transfer window, but Hume's status as a key player this season isn't in doubt.

The only scenario in which that changes is if a bid of astronomical value arrives, and despite the interest from various clubs that has not yet happened and doesn't appear to look like happening imminently. Or, if Hume himself decides he wishes to pursue a new challenge and the club feel they can't stand in his way. That appears unlikely in the extreme given his commitment and level of performance in recent times.

It's no surprise that there is interest in Hume. He's consistent, rarely gets injured and so players pretty much every week. He's already very experienced at both club and international level, and still has potential to get even better. These exact qualities are also precisely the reason Sunderland will be reluctant in the extreme to sell, and why they'll likely end up rewarding his progress with a bumper new deal.

Never say never in football, but Hume and Sunderland has been a match made in heaven and there's every reason to think that will remain the case for a good while yet.

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