Sunderland transfer Q&A: The seven key questions guiding summer window preparations

Sunderland still have an outside chance of making the play-offs but with eight games to go it is becoming an increasingly remote prospect.
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And with the summer drawing ever closer, preparations for what will be a hugely important summer window regardless of how this season ends are stepping up.Here, we run through some of the key questions that will be guiding those preparations...

Which are the key positions that Sunderland need to target?

The starting point for Sunderland's summer window will be fairly straightforward. Above all else they need to strengthen their forward ranks, to ensure they avoid a repeat of the spells this season where without Ross Stewart they have lacked a player who can stretch the opposition defence and turn the chances those creative players forge into goals.

Sunderland striker Ross StewartSunderland striker Ross Stewart
Sunderland striker Ross Stewart
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Generally the squad building under the new regime has been encouraging but four windows have now passed with a permanent addition being made up front. It is the hardest position in which to recruit, mainly because it is the position which requires the biggest level of investment. Sunderland need two arrivals, and supporters will expect at least one to be a permanent addition, avoiding or at least mitigating against the risk of the Ellis Simms recall scenario.

Sunderland will also surely need to add another natural defensive midfielder, as Corry Evans is highly unlikely to be fully fit when the season begins. In the longer run, it would also free Dan Neil to play further forward more often.

Sunderland's overarching transfer policy is unlikely to change this summer, with the focus by and large on talented youngsters and particularly when fees are paid. It's a policy generally supported by fans enjoying the standard of football on offer, and yet it is clear that some areas of the squad have to be better balanced and better stocked if many of those youngsters are to realise their potential in a successful team.

Does Ross Stewart's contract situation impact the plans?

Stewart has been focused on the early stages of his recovery but Speakman has said that the club will revisit contract talks.

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Talks were at something of an impasse before the new year and it will be crucial for Sunderland's future planning to ascertain whether they are any closer to reaching an agreement.

The topic may not be attracting the same level of attention while Stewart is absent but it remains a vital one for the club.

Will Sunderland trigger Edouard Michut's option-to-buy clause?

Michut endured a frustrating first half of the campaign but has increasingly been a regular since the World Cup break, and is beginning to match his technical ability with a better grasp of the physical demands of the Championship.

Sunderland have the option to make his loan from PSG permanent, reportedly for an initial €2.5 million fee. Michut's contributions of late make that look like decent value, but the decision will of course be based on the broader budget and the need to invest in other positions.

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Signing Michut would mean that with Neil, Pritchard, Ba, Ekwah, Matete et al - Mowbray's options in the number eight/ten roles would be starting from a very strong point - it's a decision fans seem broadly very keen for the board to make.

Is there a chance Premier League teams could swoop for any of the team's promising players?

One significant development over the international break was Dan Neil extending his contract until the summer of 2026, significantly strengthening the club's position ahead of the summer and giving the play a deserved reward for this efforts over the last 18 months.

Neil is one of a host of Sunderland players being closely scouted by Premier League clubs, which in itself is not a concern to the club who have always been clear that significant player sales will be a key part of their long-term strategy to grow the team by re-investing that money raised.

The key, clearly, is being prepared for when those moves happen. The summer might be a little soon for that but part of the scouting and data analysis' department key pieces of ongoing work will be to continually track players who could become an option if important players do depart.

How do Sunderland replace Amad?

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Fatigue had understandably caught up with Amad a touch in recent weeks but his cameo against Luton Town underlined just how important he has been this season.

Either side of the World Cup break his outstanding form was vital in pushing Sunderland high up the table, even in a spell where they lacked fully-fit strikers.

His likely return to Manchester United will leave a significant gap in the squad. Part of the process over the next eight games will be to determine to what extent players such as Abdoullah Ba and Isaac Lihadji are ready to step in from the start of next season and carry some of that significant attacking burden. Sunderland don't want to be reliant on the loan market but one positive of Amad's spell is that they will most definitely have made themselves an attractive destination for Premier League clubs, and so they will very definitely have the option to return to that market.

Will any of the players currently out on loan be ready to step into the squad on a regular basis next season?

Jay Matete, Jack Diamond and Leon Dajaku have all been out on loan this season to get the regular game time that looked unlikely on Wearside.

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All three have had varying levels of success to date, with Diamond a regular in Lincoln City's side with a decent goalscoring record. Matete has played regularly in Plymouth Argyle's promotion push and made some eye-catching contributions, though right now he is not a permanent fixture in the starting XI.

All have the talent to be fixtures in Mowbray's squad but similarly, all will be returning to compete in areas of the pitch where there are a lot of options. Sunderland's plans for the three will clearly have an impact on further incoming and outgoing business.

What's the ambition next season?

The question from which all of the above really flows: What is it that Sunderland will hope to achieve next season?

Supporters will expect the club to push to improve on this season's finish, whatever that may end up being, and hopefully sustain that play-off push for longer and perhaps even realise it.

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Sunderland have been clear that this is a long-term project and that they want their growth to be sustainable, but how quickly they want to push this squad forward, and what the budget will be as a result, will guide all of these decisions.