Sunderland need to win promotion back to the Championship or risk losing their better players. No doubt it's stating the obvious, but time is running out for the Black Cats who are at risk of becoming a stepping stone for Championship clubs.
The recent interest in Ross Stewart from Swansea and Norwich City are a sign of things to come if players continue to impress, with the club in danger of being left behind. Last season, the Black Cats lost top goal scorer Charlie Wyke to promotion rivals Wigan while Elliot Embleton attracted interest from Blackpool after a stellar loan spell.
Fortunately for Sunderland, they were able to hang on to the academy graduate but the longer the club remains in League One, the less effective their pull will be. The Black Cats are without a doubt the 'biggest side' in the division in terms of fanbase but the past few years on the pitch have been dismal.
READ MORE: Ross Stewart in line for new contract as Sunderland look to fend off suitors
The Wearsiders should not have to rely on the pull of the club, but rather success on the field to attract players to the Stadium of Light. Something severely lacking since dropping to the third tier of English football.
As rightly pointed out by fans on social media, the club will no doubt be forced to sell some of their best players in the quest to get back to the Premier League - such is the model of the club. Kyril Louis-Dreyfus wanted to tap into the local talent pool and sell players for profit in order to try and become more sustainable.
That doesn't mean the club should be forced to sell every player who succeeds at the club but it's a fine balancing act that they're yet to find. Brentford are a perfect example of a club successfully selling high profile talent and reinvesting into the squad.
It's taken years for the Bees to reach the Premier League and will no doubt take Sunderland a similar timeframe. The Summer recruitment drive of younger players was a step in the right direction, but other than Stewart, none of those brought in have been able to hit the heights of the Scottish striker.
His recent Scotland call-up will no doubt have attracted the attention of more clubs. Even if the striker did not feature against Poland or Austria.
I don't think you would find a Sunderland supporter who would condemn Stewart a move to the Canaries, who are operating at a higher level than the Black Cats, but it would be frustrating nonetheless. The club needs to progress but the recruitment hasn't been been good enough to lift the Wearsiders to the lofty heights of automatic promotion.
