Sunderland transfers: Why Tony Mowbray is optimistic about the summer window as Cats hold recruitment talks

Compared to his previous managerial positions, Mowbray has admitted he’s not as involved when it comes to the Black Cats’ transfer business – despite working with Stuart Harvey, who was part of Blackburn’s recruitment set-up before moving to Wearside.

When asked about Sunderland’s plans ahead of this summer’s transfer window, Mowbray told the Echo: “We had a meeting a couple of weeks ago basically to try and identify where we feel the team needs to recruit.

“Stuart Harvey is getting on with it really, is probably in far-flung parts of the world as we speak. He does a lot of work, he’s very, very dedicated to the job and works really hard.

“It’s done slightly differently at this club to what I’ve done in the past. I would spend hours with Stuart and Veno (Mark Venus) in dark rooms watching players, constantly watching video clips of their last games and deciding whether this is the one we wanted to go for and then make enquiries of how much.

“It’s ok liking a player but then someone tells you he’s £10million and you think we’ll move on then.

“Stuart has to do all the groundwork and that sort of stuff and at some stage I’m sure I’ll be sat around a table looking at players and the shortlist.

“Like any recruitment team, you have to have free transfers, you have to have a few hundred thousand pounds, you have to have a million pounds, you have to have multi-million pounds.

“I don’t sit here knowing exactly what the budget is going to be next year. Are we spending £5million on a centre-forward, or are we spending £200,000 on a centre-forward? I don’t know.””

Mowbray will also have meetings with Sunderland’s Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman as the club look to strengthen for next season – while being prepared if they lose one of their prized assets somewhere down the line.

“I think the fans should be excited about the prospect of where the team is going to go,” Mowbray added. “The recruitment department have to come up with some players that fill any voids that are there for the team.

“I’ve always said in football, ‘the king is dead, long live the king.’ Whether it be a centre-forward, centre-half, a right winger, a central midfield player. Somebody is not there, somebody has to step into the void.

“This club has seen it with the Majas, Charlie Wyke, people who you think they can’t replace, and yet Ross Stewart turns up and is banging them in and everyone forgets the last one.

“That’s what has to happen down the line in all positions. If we sell the goalkeeper somewhere down the line because he’s doing amazing and the Premier League are offering tens of millions of pounds for him, you have to have the next one ready. That’s what recruitment is, or good recruitment.

“Sunderland, we have to fill it full of good players and have no problem selling one somewhere down the line and use the money to reinvest and just keep getting good players in the club.”