‘Hopefully’ Speakman explains SAFC’s transfer plans as Cats eye multiple targets

Kristjaan Speakman says Sunderland have been tracking some of their summer transfer targets for the last year as they look to make new additions at the start of the upcoming window.

The Black Cats are known to be in advanced talks with Birmingham midfielder Jobe Bellingham, who was at the Stadium of Light to watch the first leg of this month’s play-off semi-final against Luton.

“We’ll go into the transfer window as we always do, trying to evolve and improve the team,” Speakman told the club’s website. “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.”

In recent transfer windows Sunderland have taken their time to sign their preferred targets, which has previously paid off.

The club were left short of striker options in January, though, following attempts to sign another forward on deadline day.

“I don’t know if we can always take our time,” Speakman added. “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.”

This summer’s transfer window will officially open for English clubs on Wednesday, June 14 and close on Friday, 1 September.

Clubs can agree a transfer earlier than June 14 but the deal will not become official, and the player won’t be able to join their new club, until the window reopens.