Sunderland's current contract position explained and the next two big priorities for Kristjaan Speakman

Sunderland further demonstrated their pro-active approach to contract management by announcing a one-year extension for Niall Huggins on Wednesday night.

Huggins is still recovering from major knee surgery and is not expected to return until the new year, but sporting director Kristjaan Speakman explained that the club wanted to remove any uncertainty around the defender's future given that his current deal had been set to expire in the summer. This way, he can focus fully on his recovery and trying to recapture his impressive form from the first half of last season when fit. First and foremost Sunderland feel they are fulfilling their duty of care to the player, but it also leaves them in the best position possible should Huggins return to the level he was previously playing at. A one-year extension means that the financial outlay and risk involved is minimal.

It leaves Sunderland in an incredibly strong position across their squad, with just three senior players set to leave next summer as it stands. In the case of Wilson Isidor, there is an option-to-buy clause included in the loan deal and the player himself has made clear he hopes to stay. Should his impressive form continue, then it's a deal they should be able to get done. Chris Mepham is due to be out of contract at Bournemouth next summer, though the Premier League deal side do hold an option to extend that for a further season. As with Aaron Connolly, it suits all parties to see how the campaign develops before making any longer-term decisions. Sunderland will want to move quickly if Connolly shows signs of recapturing the form that made him such a highly-rated talent at Brighton, but for now it's up to the striker to force his way into Regis Le Bris's team and stay there.

Looking further ahead, Patrick Roberts and Luke O'Nien see their current deals expire next summer but the club have an option to extend for an extra campaign. If both continue their superb form then it's possible they could be rewarded with an improved deal, those clauses mean there is no rush and it is unlikely to be a pressing priority for Speakman right now. Joe Anderson and Jewison Bennette are also out of contract next summer, but neither are close to the first team as things stand. Both still have time on their side and Bennette in particular represented a decent investment from Sunderland, so they won't want to see his deal winding down towards the point where he could depart on a free. Realistically, though, any talks over an extension will run alongside discussions over his long-term future and an exit over the next two windows has to be a possibility given his current absence from the first-team group.

That leaves Dan Neil and Dennis Cirkin as the two clear priorities for Speakman, and securing those extensions is likely to be his biggest priority in the weeks and months ahead while also preparing for the January transfer window. Both will be heading into the last eighteen months of their contract when the January window opens, increasing the club's vulnerability to top-tier approaches. Were a deal not to be agreed before the next summer window, then Sunderland would find it very difficult to reject any solid offers from the Premier League if they have not won promotion themselves. Cirkin endured a frustrating season last time out due to injury, but has arguably been the best player in his position so far this season and that will undoubtedly be attracting admiring glances. Neil, meanwhile, has long been one of the most heavily-scouted and tracked players in the Sunderland squad.

Every other senior player is under contract until the summer of 2027 as a minimum, with the likes of Jobe Bellingham, Dan Ballard and Anthony Patterson contracted for a further year. It means Sunderland are in a very strong position heading into the January transfer window, when they will be well placed to resist any offers for those players attracting interest following their strong start to the campaign.

Speakman has shown he will continue to reward players for their progress even if they are under long-term deals, so further extensions cannot be ruled out. Chris Rigg and Romaine Mundle, for example, will almost certainly be rewarded next summer if they maintain their current trajectory.

With some clarity over Huggins's future, though, Neil and Cirkin are now clearly the two big tasks for Speakman and he admitted as much when he spoke to The Echo last month: "It’s definitely on our radar.

"The thing with contracts is that you get some complete, and then there’s always other ones that start moving closer. It’s a little bit like painting the Forth Bridge in that respect. It’s a constant piece of work, and we’ve always tried to be on the front foot with that element of things. I think to get a Ballard, a Jobe and a Chris Rigg recommitted to the club was incredible for us considering their value to the team and performance level, and also their value from a financial perspective. We were really pleased that those boys felt they were comfortable committing themselves here. It’s a journey we continue to go on through, and we want to retain our best talent. I’ve said before that retaining talent is often harder than acquiring fresh talent, but we’ll continue to trying to do that and trying to make sure we keep ourselves in a really positive place with our squad composition.”

Neil and Cirkin will both be well aware of the interest in them from elsewhere, but Sunderland will hope that a strong start to the campaign demonstrates they can reach the top tier on Wearside.