The knock-on transfer impact of Sunderland goalkeeper exit as Cats eye ex-Cardiff City man

The goalkeeping situation at the club provides an interesting sub-plot to the club’s well-documented head coach search with Sunderland boasting several exciting young prospects.

Sunderland have confirmed the permanent exit of goalkeeper Alex Bass. After a successful season on loan at AFC Wimbledon in League Two last season, Bass now joined Notts County for an undisclosed fee.

Bass joined Sunderland from Portsmouth after the club’s promotion from League One but was unable to force his way past Anthony Patterson in the pecking order.

Here, we take a look at the goalkeeping situation at the club ahead of the summer transfer window:

Anthony Patterson and the first-team picture

Patterson will be the subject of transfer interest during the upcoming window. Sheffield United are said to be very keen as they embark on the Championship rebuild under Chris Wilder There's also been some historic interest from Leicester City and Wolves and links to Celtic, Liverpool and Arsenal. Sunderland are thought to value Patterson between £10million and £20million.

If Patterson stays (which does look likely as it stands, though the caveat is that the transfer window is not yet open and has a long time to run when it does) that means Sunderland's number two would feature heavily for the under-21s to keep Patterson’s back-up match fit in the event of injury or loss of form.

At the moment, Sunderland’s first-team number two will be Nathan Bishop after Bass’ departure, though Bishop’s departure can’t be ruled out either with the Black Cats reportedly in talks with experienced shot-stopper Simon Moore. Sunderland also have to the option to promote from within.

Bass deputised during Sunderland’s first season back in the Championship before heading out on loan to AFC Wimbledon before Bishop took the role just this campaign after arriving from Manchester United. However, when your first-team number-two goalkeeper drops into the under-21s, it does block a young player's pathway.

Adam Richardson and the under-21s picture

For instance, Sunderland have the highly-rated Adam Richardson at the club. The 20-year-old picked up a badly-timed injury last season while the Black Cats were looking into a loan move for the young stopper. Richardson has now returned to full fitness and is playing for Sunderland's under-21s in the play-offs of Premier League 2. 

Richardson needs experience in men’s senior football sooner rather than later and you would imagine he will probably go out on loan at this crucial time in his development rather than sit in the under-21s where he will have his minutes potentially limited by Sunderland’s first-team number two dropping down next season.

Another interesting caveat is Sunderland have decided to retain Kelechi Chibueze, not one of the key headlines from the retained list but quite significant. The 20-year-old former Leicester City man will likely act as the under-21s understudy to the main goalkeeper, who would likely be Sunderland's first-team number two. That means that if the second-choice first-team goalkeeper is promoted to number-one for whatever reason, Chibueze can play for the under-21s with Richardson likely to head out on loan at some point.

Dan Cameron, who will turn 19 in September, has also been confirmed under contract for next season by Sunderland. He will likely form part of the main goalkeeping group for the under-21s at the Academy of Light alongside Sunderland’s first-team number two dropping down and Chibueze. It is also worth noting that Chibueze was loaned to Consett twice late last season and that Sunderland have the option to loan the former Foxes man and/or Cameron to a non-league side at any point during the campaign if they want to boost their senior minutes.

Matty Young and the under-18s picture

Ben Metcalf, 17, will become Sunderland's under-18s main goalkeeper next season with the shot-stopper confirmed as retained when the club published their list last week, though at present, he is the only keeper for that age group if you exclude Matty Young. Monty Conway was released some time ago but there is talk that Joseph Cowan, who played for the club’s under-15s team last year, could be handed an early scholarship deal.

England youth international Young, also 17, went out on loan to Darlington during the second half of last season and pulled up trees. Young helped The Quakers escape relegation from the National League North under former Newcastle man Steve Watson and is already being mentioned with another loan ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. Sunderland are also preparing a new contract offer to the player.

Sunderland’s retained list and goalkeeping picture signals heavily towards Young heading out on another loan at some point. He has outgrown the under-18s and Metcalf is now likely to occupy that spot for the upcoming season with reinforcements behind him to arrive in due course. Cameron could also drop down as an overage player, though that is thought to be unlikely.

Young could move up to play for under-21s, but there's only so much you can learn playing age-group football and those spots are occupied. This all points towards another loan move for Young, potentially in the EFL. Notts County were linked with a move but the signing of Bass would indicate they are no longer in the market for a first choice keeper.

Sunderland’s goalkeeping situation summarised

Sunderland can afford to take their time with the loans for Richardson and Young. Expect to see the pair involved - as they were last year - in the club’s pre-season group and feature in friendlies before any decisions are made. However, it does feel as if this summer could provide the opportune time to send the pair out to play senior football given Sunderland are well covered with others available to form the goalkeeping group for Graeme Murty’s under-21 team.

Patterson’s future could change their fates, though. If the North Shields-born man was sold, then the Black Cats would have to either buy someone else or promote from within. Bass has now left, but so too could Bishop if Moore does indeed join. Sunderland’s second choice goalkeeper will likely drop down into under-21s regularly if Patterson stays.

Should Moore sign and Bishop leave later in the window alongside Bass, Sunderland would likely require a third keeper for match days, who would likely come from within the Academy of Light set-up. In the unlikely event of Patterson, Bishop and Bass all departing in the same window, Sunderland would have to buy and promote from within, scuppering potential loan moves for Young and Richardson.