The Sunderland AFC Q&A: Transfer priorities, Championship return and who to watch in pre-season assessed

Alex Neil’s side will take on Rangers and Roma as the return to league action draws ever closer.

With that in mind, our writers James Copley and Phil Smith have been discussing some of the key topics. You can read their verdict on all the big issues below...

What do you think of Sunderland's summer so far?

JC: I feel encouraged by Sunderland's summer so far. Three contracts have been signed from three that were offered - and with minimal fuss. Compare that to the palaver surrounding Denver Hume, Aiden McGeady and Luke O'Nien last summer. Throw into the mix new signing Daniel Ballard and I think things are progressing nicely.

The challenge now is to keep it up and to continue to build.

PS: I think they’ve made relatively solid progress.

You’d say the squad is currently still a little weaker than the one that finished last season, purely because Jack Clarke and Nathan Broadhead were such an important part of the group that went on to win promotion. But it’s really encouraging that by and large, they’ve so far been able to keep the core of that side together. Past summers have invariably seen a huge amount of turnover, whether it be managers or playing staff or often both. Though there is clearly still a huge amount of work to be done, it does feel like Sunderland are heading into pre-season from a position of relative strength.

You can’t underestimate the importance of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus going some way to settling the ongoing ownership saga, either. It may not yet be the perfect set up for supporters keen to move on from the Madrox era, but it’s still very clearly a major step forward. I’m hoping the exciting signing of Daniel Ballard for a significant fee is a sign that the club is ready to really step up a level, on and off the pitch. Time will tell.

What positions are you most keen to see Sunderland recruit next?

JC: Competition for Anthony Patterson is paramount after Lee Burge's exit earlier this summer.

I also really do think we are short of specialist full-backs. Sunderland have plenty of players who can play there if needed, but the likes of O'Nien, Lynden Gooch and Carl Winchester aren't natural defenders. We need extra bodies there given that Dennis Cirkin and Nail Huggins are both young and prone to injury.

And it goes without saying that we need competition and cover up-front for Ross Stewart.

PS: The most important one to settle I think is up front. The best deal Sunderland could do would be to secure a new contract for Ross Stewart, which would settle that issue and give the club a lot of momentum. At least one more, hopefully including Nathan Broadhead, needs to arrive on top of that. Then I think it’s fair to say the goalkeeping and full back departments need some attention.

Would you bring Jack Clarke back on a permanent deal?

JC: If the price is right, yes. He is a talented player but he needs first-team exposure and responsibility. He possesses serious quality and he's not going to play at Tottenham. Sunderland and Clarke are a match made in heaven in many ways.

PS: Without a doubt. The deal has got to be right, but Clarke perfectly fits the club’s model. He still has a lot of potential to develop, but also has plenty of Championship experience and so wouldn’t be overawed as Sunderland settled. And the major benefit would be that he’d be able to hit the ground running, knowing well what Neil wants from him in games.

Whose progress are you most interested to watch in pre-season, is there anyone you think could make a big step up?

JC: The interesting one for me is Dan Neil. He was so influential during the early part of last season. Then Alex Neil came in and the midfielder found his game time reduced. Was this because he needed to be taken out of the firing line? Or is it because Neil doesn't rate him? Time will tell.

PS: I agree with James that it’s going to be really interesting to see how Dan Neil fares. I think personally we’ll see him kick on again after a much deserved summer break. I’m also really interested to see how Trai Hume goes. The full backs are in an interesting position this season in that Sunderland have options, but in a lot of cases they’re not necessarily natural in that role. So I think there’s a big chance for Hume to really stake a claim early doors.

How are you feeling about the season right now - optimistic or concerned?

JC: Given recent developments surrounding Charlie Methven's exit, I'm quite optimistic at the moment. I think Sunderland are a big draw to players in the Championship and we just might surprise a few people this season, especially with someone as canny as Alex Neil at the helm.

PS: I think it’s going to be a tough season at times as Sunderland adjust with the step up, and so I definitely want to see some more strong transfer business done from the club over the next few weeks before I can feel really optimistic. Having said that, I think the chance is there to build on that feel good factor from Wembley and it feels as if Neil and his players have built a real unity internally and with fans as well. If that continues, it’ll be a good campaign. Maybe after the tumult of recent years, a bit of calm and steady progression is to be relished.