As a newly promoted club, history dictates that Sunderland’s survival in the Premier League is by no means guaranteed, with the odds of them staying up stacked against them.
However, with the signings they have made both on and off the field, they are giving themselves the best possible chance of surviving in the upcoming Premier League season and establishing themselves in the future.
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Sunderland’s Survival Not Guaranteed, But They Are Giving Themselves a Great Chance
Signings Made so Far
Sunderland have been one of the most active clubs in Europe this summer, strengthening their squad ahead of their first season back in England’s top flight, and have spent close to £140 million so far.
The players already signed are:
Goalkeeper, Robin Roefs – NEC Nijmegen, £11.5m.
Left Back, Reinildo Mandava – Atletico Madrid, free.
Midfielder, Habib Diarra – Strasbourg, £30m.
Midfielder, Enzo Le Fee – Roma, £20m.
Midfielder, Granit Xhaka – Bayer Leverkusen, £17m.
Midfielder, Noah Sadiki – Union Saint-Gilloise, £17.5m.
Winger, Simon Adingra – Brighton, £20.5m.
Winger, Chemsdine Talbi – Club Brugge, £19m.
According to Fabrizio Romano, a deal to bring Chelsea striker Marc Guiu to Wearside on a season-long loan is complete, but has yet to be made official by Sunderland.
Sporting Director: “More Players Needed”
Speaking earlier in the summer following the signing of several players, Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman insisted that they were far from finished in the transfer market this summer. He said: “We’ve still got several more players that we need to acquire in certain areas of the pitch,” Speakman said.
“I’ll leave that a little bit loose for you but we have to try to find the right players. We’ve never been knee-jerk in our decision making. We’ll try to be calm, but it’s the balance of being calm, waiting and trying to find [players]. Also knowing that you’ve got the right ones and being decisive.
“Momentum is important. We want to make sure we can start well. We knew that we had three or four players that we felt were the right ones and we’ve tried to do them. I think that just shows the ambition of the ownership and the direction of the club.”
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Off The Field Appointments
It’s not just on the field where the Black Cats are making huge improvements; new backroom staff have also been added to help head coach Regis Le Bris and his current team. Former AC Milan coach and Assistant Manager at Al-Nassr, Luciano Vulcano, has joined as Assistant Head Coach.
Isidre Ramón Madir joins as Assistant Coach/Opposition Analyst, a position he has held at Barcelona and PSG among others, and Neil Cutler has been appointed as head Goalkeeping Coach. Florent Ghisolfi has also arrived as the new Director of Football after leaving Roma earlier this summer.
Improvements to the Stadium and Academy
Following the improvements made last summer, which included a new retail store and ticket office, the introduction of safe standing, the installation of an elite playing surface, and new PA and lighting systems, the club has continued to make more improvements ahead of the new season.
At the Stadium of Light, there are newly refurbished concourses and a transformation of the premium experiences that supporters can enjoy. Players’ dressing rooms and tunnel area have been remodelled, and recently the club unveiled the Jimmy Montgomery Stand, with the Sunderland legend’s name emblazoned across the front lip of the stand facing the pitch.
Improvements at the Academy of Light, the club’s training ground and facilities, have also seen improvements being made, all in a bid to give the team the best chance possible of surviving and competing in the Premier League.
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