Sunderland's biggest challenge in the summer transfer window will be 'maintaining the level of quality' as they look for signings that can build on this season's success, according to Kristjaan Speakman. The Black Cats won promotion from League One 12 months ago and made an immediate impact on their return to the Championship, finishing sixth and earning a play-off place.
They were aided by loan players such as Amad and Edouard Michut, who have since returned to Manchester United and Paris St-Germain respectively, along with permanent signings such as Jack Clarke, Dan Ballard, Aji Alese, and Pierre Ekwah, all of whom were hits. But the season - and the injuries suffered along the way - also exposed deficiencies in the squad, with no direct replacement for star striker Ross Stewart who spent almost three quarters of the campaign on the sidelines, while they lacked cover for influential holding midfielder Corry Evans, and they ended with no specialist centre-backs.
Those areas will be among those the club is looking to strengthen, but sporting director Speakman says they will only bring in players of equal or better quality than those who arrived last summer as they look to improve on last season's performance. "We'll go into the transfer window as we always do, trying to evolve and improve the team," Speakman told the club's Youtube channel.
READ MORE: Ex-chairman Stewart Donald exits Sunderland after selling his remaining stake
"We feel there are areas that require strengthening, some of those are more obvious than others. But we are only ever going to try and acquire the right players that are the right types of players, the right individuals who are going to contribute to the team in the short and the long term.
"I think for us maintaining the level of quality we have brought in is going to be the most difficult challenge because the team has evolved and also the standard that is required is increasing. I think myself and the recruitment staff are relishing that challenge and the work is well under way on that.
"Hopefully we can be quite early to the summer market and that gives us the best opportunity to be well prepared for next season."
Sunderland are expected to bring in 17-year-old midfielder Jobe Bellingham - younger brother of England and Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham - from Speakman's old club Birmingham City this summer, with discussions understood to be at an advanced stage. Deals can be set up now, but cannot be completed until the transfer window officially opens and this year that will happen on Wednesday, June 14.
Sunderland have attracted criticism in the past for taking their time to get deals over the line in the transfer window, but Speakman says they want to be out of the blocks as quickly as possible and says they have been tracking some of their targets for a year or more. He said: "I don't know if we can always take our time.
"I'm not really sure if that is ever going to satisfy. We will always like to be as early as possible to recruiting players because I think it gives us the most preparation time, and we have pre-season for a reason.
"It's not always possible and you have to be able to find the right player at the right moment, and it has to fit for both themselves and for us. I certainly think by being really well organised and planned as we have been, we can go into this window literally from the moment the January window finished.
"Some of our recruitment work and scouting has been going on, some of the players we're engaging with at the moment has been going on for the last year. We certainly want to see some of that hard work come to the forefront and hopefully we can see some more exciting players playing a brand of football at the Stadium of Light, which I know from speaking to supporters in and around the city that they are pleased with.
"It's not just the types of players we've got but the type of football they are coming to watch on a Saturday."
READ NEXT
- Kristjaan Speakman praises Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray without addressing rumours over his position
- Sunderland must aim to ditch underdog tag and become promotion favourites warns Tony Mowbray
- Sunderland's attacking style given seal of approval by Aston Villa boss Unai Emery
- Sunderland skipper signs up to take UEFA coaching badge over the summer
- One senior player departs as Sunderland publish retained list ahead of 2023-34 season
