The next key deals Sunderland will look to get over the line after major contract boosts

The feel good factor that followed the Wembley win was still strong but there were understandably major concerns over what impact the continued ownership uncertainty would have.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus moved to rectify that to a significant extent, and positive news on contracts for Lynden Gooch, Anthony Patterson and Patrick Roberts followed.

So as the season moves closer, what are the next priorities for the club?

We take a closer look….

GET THE FINAL CONTRACT RENEWALS OVER THE LINE

Sunderland's international players are expected back at the Academy of Light this week, which will hopefully kickstart a second wave of contract renewals.

While the need to add quality this summer is clear, equally important is keeping some continuity and stability from the group who ended the last campaign so strongly.

That should lead to a new deal for Bailey Wright, who has made clear in the past that his aim was to win promotion with Sunderland and then move forward with them in the second tier. On the pitch his qualities were obvious as he excelled at first alongside Carl Winchester and Dennis Cirkin in an unusual but effective back three, and then latterly alongside Danny Batth.

Wright is also one of the squad's key leaders off the pitch, and so the desire to retain at the club is obvious.

From Wright's perspective, he now also has the World Cup in Qatar to aim for. Having won his place in the Australia squad back, he will be eager to ensure he is playing regularly as the tournament draws nearer. The stability he has at Sunderland and the now higher level of football they offer seems like the perfect preparation.

It's one you would very much expect to get done, and would represent a solid step forward for the club as it would secure the futures of the three out-of-contract players they had set out to retain.

Also due back at the AoL is Ross Stewart, who ended his outstanding season with a deserved call up to the Scotland squad.

There remains significant transfer interest in Stewart, both from Rangers and also from English clubs. Sunderland are in a relatively strong position, holding the option to extend the Scot's contract for a further year beyond the one left on his current deal.

Ideally, they want to reward Stewart's progress with a significantly improved deal even above the automatic rise he secured as a result of promotion.

"We’re always trying to protect players like that who have performed so well and naturally, you want to try and reward players," Speakman told The Echo shortly after the Wembley win.

"It gives inspiration to other people as well [to perform] and you want to keep that cycle going. You want that culture at the club."

You'd expect the situation to develop quickly over the next couple of weeks and a new deal would lift the mood on Wearside even further.

Could there be more renewals in the works beyond that? Possibly. Speakman said there were 'several' who would be considered.

It marks a welcome change in pace from where Sunderland had been at under previous owners, when contracts were often allowed to run down and the club's position was weakened as a result.

GET CLARITY ON LAST SEASON'S LOANEES

Unsurprisingly, news that Patrick Roberts had signed a new two-year deal on Saturday saw his crucial strike in the play-off semi final against Sheffield Wednesday shared all over social media.

It's lost on no one that while the run and close-range finish from Roberts was excellent, it owed much to the excellent run and cross from Jack Clarke.

Both arrived on Wearside short of regular minutes in senior football and both took a little bit of time to hit their best form. Crucially, both ended the season in excellent form and as a key players in the play-off campaign.

It's no secret that Sunderland would like to bring Clarke back, and it's the same with Everton's Nathan Broadhead.

Like most of the Championship, the Black Cats have to be patient as Premier League clubs often like to give their most promising young talent some exposure to the first-team environment in pre-season before sanctioning their departure. In Clarke and Broadhead's case, the situation is complicated by the fact that they both have just one year left on their current contracts.

It would make no sense at this stage for their parent clubs to sanction another loan.

Sunderland had been extensively scouting potential loan targets long before their eventual promotion, so will have multiple options if they can't strike deals for Clarke and Broadhead.

It's an area where they may yet have to be patient, but it's a crucially important piece of the puzzle as Sunderland look to bridge the gap between the third and second tier on a sustainable budget.

MAKE INROADS IN THE SUMMER WINDOW

Even with the core of last season's squad in place, the need for further recruitment is obvious.

As an absolute bare minimum, they need another goalkeeper, a full back, two central defenders and probably two strikers. Another winger is also required, though of course bringing back Clarke would be the ideal scenario there.

Sunderland started slowly last summer, reasoning that it would be better to wait for their main targets. A fast start to the season and the progress of some of those who arrived much later (Broadhead, Cirkin) in the summer showed that recruiting early does not always necessarily equate to success.

Patience will be key again but it's also true that the earlier Neil can get working with players the better. That applies both to their match fitness and also in terms of getting to grips with the tactical demands of their new head coach.