With their eyes on Burnley and Leeds United in the Premier League, Sunderland will be glad they are not in the throes of a relegation battle as we face them in April and May.
While the promoted foes are fighting for every available point in their campaign to beat the drop, Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats sit comfortably in mid-table, with an impressive 11 wins to their name, from 31 games.
Therefore, the Wearside giants should not find it too difficult to keep hold of their famous players this summer, going into another Premier League campaign.
This has not been the case in Sunderland’s recent history, however, with former stars at the Stadium of Light often leaving Wearside to make a name for themselves in the top flight.
What happened to Sunderland’s record sales?
Sunderland have been a hotbed of emerging talent in recent years, with Jobe Bellingham landing a club record signing last year for £27.8m.
Sunderland’s most expensive sale ever
The Black Cats have sold some young players for huge sums of money.
The Black Cats took a gamble on the attacking midfielder when they signed him for £3m from Birmingham City when he was just 17 years old.
Thankfully, this risky move more than paid off, with 11 goals and four assists coming to the Stadium of Light, from 90 appearances, leading to a major club record move to Borussia Dortmund.
|
Sunderland’s most expensive sale ever |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
The player |
Money |
It has been sold |
A year |
|
Job Bellingham |
£27.8m |
Borussia Dortmund |
2025 |
|
Jordan Pickford |
£25m |
Everton |
2017 |
|
Jordan Henderson |
£20m |
Liverpool |
2011 |
|
Darren Bent |
£18m |
Aston Villa |
2011 |
|
Jack Clarke |
£15m |
Ipswich |
2024 |
|
Patrick van Aanholt |
£12m |
The Crystal Palace |
2017 |
|
Simon Mignolet |
£11m |
Liverpool |
2013 |
|
Tom Watson |
£10m |
Brighton |
2025 |
He will hope that he can continue to be a famous name in the Bundesliga, wherever he ends up during his life, like Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson were able to be in the Premier League, starting their football studies at Sunderland.
Indeed, both Pickford and Henderson have the Wearside giants to thank for their first chances in the top flight, before stints at Liverpool and Everton on Merseyside, ending their brief senior stays at the Black Cats.
The instantly recognizable goalkeeper and midfielder – a £45m signing from his youth club – has made a total of 815 Premier League appearances. and Pickford in particular becoming typical England.
|
Henderson and Pickford’s work numbers |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Mathematics |
Henderson |
Pickford |
|
Premiership games |
460 |
355 |
|
England Games |
88 |
82 |
|
Medals won |
8 |
0 |
Since then, the Black Cats have been looking for a replacement for Henderson and Pickford and they might have found him had it not been for the injury.
Sunderland’s star could be Henderson and young Pickford
Unfortunately for all the Hendersons, Pickfords, and Bellinghams of this world, there are some players who never live up to their hype.
Dennis Cirkin falls into this bracket of potential star when he eventually falls by the wayside, with the Mackems defender once considered a high-profile sale – like Henderson and Pickford – when Tottenham Hotspur were said to be sniffing around last summer with a £20m deal in the pipeline.
The Latvian impressed so much last season, that he was selected for such a big move, as Le Bris’ men won promotion in stunning fashion, with Cirkin collecting two goals and three assists as a gung-ho option on the left side.
Winning 5.6 duels per game, and, with Luke O’Nien – known as the hero of the cause – winning only 3.9 on the contrary, it seems that this 24-year-old player is ready for any challenges that will come his way, the rise of the division.
It hasn’t really played out that way, however, with the 2025/26 season – while it has been excellent for Wearside as a whole – going down as a personal nightmare for the number three.
Just seven Premier League appearances have come, as Cirkin’s recurring injury problems have continued to plague him, with the 24-year-old looking like a rope when he was dropped into the back end of the starting XI.
His last start against Spurs, at the beginning of January, saw him win just two of his five duels, while his passing was inconsistent, with the ball being lost eight times with only 30 touches.
A £20m move doesn’t look to be on the cards for Cirkin, now, as he tries to follow in the footsteps of Pickford and Henderson.
Instead, for all his mistakes this season, he looks set to be finished under Le Bris, with his future in the game up in the air, as his Sunderland contract expires in June.
Enzo Le Fee could be the next to sign for Sunderland this summer
Sunderland could make a move for the exciting star in the summer, as Regis Le Bris hunts for his next Enzo Le Fee.
