Sunderland have the funds available to potentially spend big this summer.
Sunderland will be hoping to put last season behind them, in which they finished in an unsatisfactory 16th place in the Championship.
The Black Cats appointed Michael Beale as Tony Mowbray’s successor, following his surprising exit, however, it became evident that Beale was not the correct man to lead a promotion push with Sunderland after Mowbray, to which Mike Dodds took over for the rest of the season, delivering very little success in the process.
The new season has called for a clean slate for recently appointed French boss Regis Le Bris, who seemingly has all the capabilities to get the best out of Sunderland’s young squad after a wealthy experience of youth coaching in France.
Now that owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has found his man to lead Sunderland in the 2024/25 Championship campaign, all eyes are on the Black Cats getting involved in the summer transfer window.
The funds are reportedly available for Sunderland, however there is a catch.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus the deciding factor as Sunderland could spend big
Projections show that Sunderland will not be pushing the boundaries of PSR this season, giving them room to potentially spend large amounts this summer.
Finance expert Adam Williams told Sunderland AFC News: “They [Sunderland] would be allowed to lose another £21m in 2024/25 and remain compliant with PSR.”
“In reality, their margin will be greater given that they have a Category One academy, which is exempt from PSR. Then there are infrastructure costs and the like.
“All that is to say, I don’t think Sunderland’s hands are tied by spending regulations. In theory, I think they could go out and spend £20m and be fine.
“If they choose not to spend, it’s because Louis-Dreyfus doesn’t want to bankroll big losses.
“While some owners are willing to cover that cost to reach the Premier League, he is not. – or at least he hasn’t been so far.”
Will Sunderland have to spend big in order to push for promotion
The Sunderland squad at this moment in time looks very thread-bare, especially with the uncertainty over the futures of Jobe Bellingham and Jack Clarke at the Stadium of Light, who are both attracting Premier League interest.
On top of this, the squad lacks any real experience that could lead them towards the play-offs for the 2024/25 Championship season with an average squad age of 23.
Le Bris will be able to get the best out of Sunderland’s youthful ranks, but they can only go so far without putting money towards Championship proven quality, particularly in the striker field which is lacking for the Black Cats at this moment.
Even if Sunderland do manage to keep Bellingham and Clarke for the 2024/25 season, Le Bris will have done a remarkable job to get this team in the higher echelons of the league table. Funds will have to be put towards some Championship quality if they are to prove that they can really make a statement this season.