Sunderland are now being linked with a few players ahead of the summer transfer window.
For Sunderland, owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman, a huge summer lies ahead.
Whilst the club remains one with huge potential, there’s a lot that needs to be fixed in the summer, with the Black Cats needing a slight rethink in how they’re trying to get to the Premier League.
The club needs to find a new manager and Sunderland appear to be biding their time on that front, doing their due diligence in the knowledge that many Sunderland fans don’t have faith in the club appointing the right man.
But there’s also the issue of player recruitment.
Sunderland recruitment under Kristjaan Speakman criticised
Sunderland have a very clear motive in the transfer market; they like to buy young and sell on for big money.
And they’ve done that well to a degree, bringing in names like Jack Clarke who now looks set to pocket the club a lot of money in the summer, and Jobe Bellingham who could do the same in a few years or so.
Then of course there’s the academy graduates who all look set to be sold on at some point or another; Anthony Patterson, Dan Neil, and Chris Rigg.
But this season in particular, there’s been a lot of youngsters brought in, who just haven’t been up to scratch.
Sunderland are now paying for not only a lack of quality in the side, but a lack of experience; in a season that looked to be on track for a top six finish as well.
Who’s been linked with Sunderland so far
Sunderland look set to sign a goalkeeper in the summer.
The future of Patterson remains uncertain with more and more clubs being linked with him, and with Sunderland now setting their sights on Wigan Athletic man Sam Tickle.
Another name linked is Josh Murphy.
The 29-year-old currently plays for Oxford United in League One and has been in some fine form recently, prompting the likes of Sunderland, West Brom, and Southampton all to take a look.
But for Sunderland and Speakman, this might be a transfer that’s best avoided.
Why Sunderland should avoid move for Josh Murphy
Murphy has enjoyed a strong recent spell having scored four goals since the start of last month.
But that only takes his season tally to six in League One, with four assists; he failed to score at all for Oxford in the league last year.
Now 29 years old, Murphy is out of contract in the summer and set to become a free agent, and he may well be determined to take these linked Championship clubs up on a potential offer.
He’s played in the Championship before with the likes of Norwich City and Cardiff City, but on both occasions he failed to really impress, ultimately landing in League One.
That’s not to doubt his ability in the third tier; he’s clearly doing well with promotion-chasers Oxford United right now.
But for Sunderland, the bar should be a whole lot higher.
They need someone to come in and help ease the probable loss of Clarke in the summer, and Speakman and Sunderland brought in Romaine Mundle in January to try and do that.
They should bank on Mundle becoming a top player next season and they should also look towards the likes of Tom Watson in the youth academy.
He’s really knocking on the door of the first-team now and bringing in Murphy, who would likely play a back up role and eventually leave for free, would only block Watson’s path further.
Sunderland moving for Murphy this summer doesn’t sound like a move that holds too much promise for the Black Cats.