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The Sunderland transfer team will have a busy summer window to get the current Black Cats squad up to Premier League standard.
Sunderland’s season ended in jubilation with the Championship play-off final victory over Sheffield United.
Regis Le Bris cemented himself as a Championship Manager of the Season candidate for guiding Sunderland to a fourth-placed finish in his first season in charge.
Then in May, he masterminded Sunderland’s success in the play-off campaign, by beating Coventry City over two legs and then the Blades in the Wembley final.
Le Bris’ summer to-do list has recruitment and shifting the deadwood at the top of his priorities. With the Black Cats’ 25/26 retained list revealed, his summer workload and that of the Sunderland transfer team, will have increased.
Sunderland release retained list for 2025/26 Premier League season
Roma loanee Enzo Le Fee became Sunderland’s first summer signing, after his four-year permanent stay on Wearside was confirmed, following victory in the “most important game of Le Fee’s life”.
Le Fee’s fellow loanees at Sunderland this season, Chris Mepham and Salis Abdul Samed, have both returned to their parent clubs, being Bournemouth and RC Lens respectively.
Centre-back Mepham’s importance to Sunderland this season was evident, with the Welsh international making 40 appearances in the second tier, and the vast majority of Black Cats supporters are hoping that the deal becomes permanent this summer.
However, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder is targeting Mepham, who is entering the final year of his current Cherries contract.
Samed could be a potential Dan Neil replacement, if Roma’s interest in the Sunderland star materialises this summer, but he will need to prove his fitness levels after making only a handful of appearances in his loan spell this season.
Brighton-bound Tommy Watson left Sunderland with a £220m parting gift, by scoring the winner at Wembley in the 95th minute, with his last kick of a ball in Sunderland colours ahead of his move to the AMEX.
Fellow departees included under-21 squad members: Ben Crompton, Cuba Mitchell, Caden Kelly and Kelechi Chibueze.
However, it’s the notable absentees from the retained list that could provide the most difficult task of the summer for the Sunderland transfer team.
Sunderland’s Sporting Director has his work cut out for him in summer transfer window
Several Sunderland stars, retained by the club ahead of the 25/26 season, spent time away from Wearside on loan.
In all honesty, only Nectarios Triantis can hold his head up high regarding his performances on loan at Hibernian.
Scottish top flight side Hibs want to sign him permanently this summer, after his standout loan stint, and Triantis’ agent has sent Sunderland a “bit-part player” warning ahead of next season.
An array of departures must be organised by the Sunderland transfer department this summer for returning loanees.
Abdoullah Ba, Timothee Pembele, Pierre Ekwah, Adil Aouchiche, Nazariy Rusyn, Luis Hemir Semedo, and Jay Matete were all sent out to various clubs on loans this season, with their long-term futures on Wearside almost certainly over.
If Le Bris has deemed those handful of fringe squad members as not up to Championship calibre, then what chance do they have in the most competitive league in the world?
As such, Le Bris and the Sunderland transfer team desperately need to shift the deadwood on Wearside to free up room and resources for a higher standard of signing.
£20m Monaco defender Wilfried Singo, and Wolves midfielder Tommy Doyle have been linked with a Black Cats transfer. Those two would signify a positive shift in the standard of signatures.