Sunderland are set to embark on a play-off campaign but also have one eye on the summer transfer window

Sunderland are mulling over bringing three new players to the club this summer after the play-offs.

The Black Cats have recently handed trials to a trio of young players at the Academy of Light. They are now weighing up their next steps, with academy manager Robin Nicholls and Kristjaan Speakman set to make decisions in due course.

Born in 2007, Crystal Palace defender Freddie Cowin was the first starlet to arrive on Wearside ahead of the summer. Cowin is a left-back who has quietly impressed through the youth ranks at Selhurst Park. After joining the club’s academy setup. The defender was handed a scholarship ahead of the 2023-24 season—a clear indication of the high hopes the club had for him.

Cowin made his under-18 debut in November 2023, coming off the bench in a 5–2 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Since then, he has grown in stature, featuring 17 times during the 2023-24 campaign and chipping in with one assist.

During the 2024-25 season, Cowin has recorded four assists in his first five games for the under-18s. Cowin has also stepped up to the club’s under-21s previously, making an appearance in a friendly against Dulwich Hamlet and playing above his age group. Cowin was handed a trial for Sunderland as the Black Cats’ under-18s thrashed Liverpool 6-1 at the Academy of Light recently, with all parties now considering their options.

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Sunderland also took Lincoln City goalkeeper Isaac Allan on trial. Allan, originally from the Isle of Man, has made steady progress through the ranks at the LNER Stadium after joining the club as a scholar. Now in his third year with the Imps, the shot-stopper has already caught the eye of staff at Lincoln City and has even been included in the Imps’ senior squad in EFL games on occasion for the club.

His path to Lincoln was anything but conventional. With limited professional football infrastructure on the Isle of Man, Allan sought opportunities elsewhere, attending UK Football Trials to showcase his abilities. His performances there attracted interest from several clubs, including trial spells with both Lincoln and Sheffield United. It was the Imps who ultimately offered him a pathway into the professional game.

Since joining the academy setup, Allan has been a regular in Lincoln’s U18 side, featuring prominently in successive FA Youth Cup campaigns. As previously mentioned, his development has also seen him step closer to first-team involvement, with the goalkeeper named on the bench for two League One matches during the 2024/25 season, including a fixture against Bristol Rovers.

However, Allan was invited to Sunderland for a trial and formed part of Fin Lynch and Jordan Moore’s under-18 group recently. The goalkeeper will likely be offered professional terms at Lincoln City but appears to be keeping his options open in the event of interest from clubs higher up the food chain.

Sunderland have handed a trial to Ipswich Town academy goalkeeper Alan Fleischer. The teenage stopper featured for Sunderland's under-18s during their 3-1 loss to Newcastle United on Saturday. The Magpies secured the derby win with second-half goals from Alex O’Donovan, Joe Brayson, and Kyle Fitzgerald, while Bayley Hester netted a late consolation for the Black Cats.

Fleischer is currently a second-year scholar at Ipswich and had a loan spell earlier this season with Isthmian North side Heybridge Swifts. However, he is expected to be released by the Tractor Boys at the end of the season, having been with the club since the under-9 level.

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