Regis Le Bris, Head Coach of Sunderland reacts during the pre-season friendly match (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Sunderland have made an impressive start to their Premier League campaign, but they face crucial decisions regarding the futures of several first-team players.
They were quite impressive in the Championship last season, and they have carried that form into the top flight, with just two defeats from their opening seven matches. They have managed to bring in talented players during the summer transfer window as well.
Sunderland need to sort out the futures of several players
It is clear that they are looking to build a formidable squad for the future, and they are hoping to establish themselves as Premier League regulars. However, they will need to resolve multiple contract situations of first-team players as 2026 approaches.
There have been instances where key players departed without compensation, and Sunderland will not want to be in that position again. Many of their first-team players are entering the final few months of their contracts at the club, and it will be interesting to see if the Black Cats can resolve the situation.
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Sunderland players likely to leave as free agents
The 2026 free agent list includes goalkeeper Simon Moore, winger Bertrand Traoré, loan defender Lutsharel Geertruida, and academy graduates such as Joe Anderson and Jay Matete. Regulars like Dennis Cirkin, Dan Neil, Patrick Roberts, and Niall Huggins also find themselves among those nearing the end of their current terms.
It remains to be seen how the situation develops.
Sunderland will not be able to keep all of these players, but they need to decide which of them can develop into important options for them in the future. They will need to sort out their contract situations and agree on new deals quickly.
For the other players, they should look to do their best to get rid of them during the January transfer window, so that they can recoup some money from their departures instead of losing them for…
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