Sunderland, who are staring down both Burnley and Leeds United in the Premier League, will be glad they are not in the throes of a relegation battle as April moves into May.
Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats sit squarely in the middle of the table with an impressive 11 wins from 31 games as their promoted brethren struggle for every point they can in their mission to break the drop.
So it shouldn’t be too difficult for the Wearside giants to retain their star players for the new Premier League campaign this summer.
However, this has not always been the case in Sunderland’s recent history, with former Stadium of Light stars often having to leave Wearside to make a name for themselves in the top flight.
What happened to Sunderland’s record sales?
Sunderland have seen the rise of exciting young talent in recent years, with Jobe Bellingham sold for a club-record £27.8m last year.
Sunderland’s biggest ever sale
The Black Cats sold several young players for high prices.
The Black Cats bet on the attacking midfielder, who was signed from Birmingham City for £3 million when he was just 17 years old.
Thankfully, the risky move more than paid off, as he made 90 appearances at the Stadium of Light, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists, becoming a club record for Borussia Dortmund.
Sunderland’s biggest ever sale | |||
|---|---|---|---|
player | commission | Sales destination | year |
jove bellingham | £27.8m | borussia dortmund | 2025 |
jordan pickford | £25m | everton | 2017 |
jordan henderson | £20 million | liverpool | 2011 |
Darren Bent | £18 million | Aston Villa | 2011 |
jack clark | £15 million | ipswich | 2024 |
patrick van aanholt | £12 million | crystal palace | 2017 |
Simon Mignolet | £11m | liverpool | 2013 |
tom watson | £10 million | brighton | 2025 |
He will hope to continue to become a celebrity in the Bundesliga, or wherever he ends up for the rest of his career, just as Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson managed to break into the Premier League without starting their football education at Sunderland.
Indeed, Pickford and Henderson have the Wearside giants to thank for their first chance in the top flight, before becoming mainstays for both Liverpool and Everton on Merseyside following a brief senior stay with the Black Cats.
The instantly recognizable goalkeeper and midfielder, who earned a total of £45m for his boyhood club, made a staggering 815 appearances in the Premier League. Pickford in particular became a regular for England.
Henderson and Pickford’s career numbers | ||
|---|---|---|
status | henderson | pickford |
premier league match | 460 | 355 |
england cap | 88 | 82 |
Trophies won | 8 | 0 |
Since then, the Black Cats have been looking for another Henderson and Pickford for a long time, and might have found one if not for the injury.
Sunderland’s stars could be the new Henderson and Pickford.
Unfortunately for the Hendersons, Pickfords and Bellinghams of the world, some players simply don’t live up to the hype.
Dennis Sirkin falls into this category of a promising star candidate who ends up falling by the wayside. The Mackems defender was linked with a high-profile sale, along with Henderson and Pickford, when Tottenham Hotspur were said to be negotiating a deal worth around £20m last summer.
The Latvian international made a huge impression last season as a viable option on the left, scoring two goals and providing three assists, touting such a big move as Le Bris’ side secured promotion via a dramatic play-off route.
Although he only won 5.6 duels per match, compared to 3.9 against fellow champion Luke O’Nien, the 24-year-old has risen through the ranks and looked ready for whatever challenges lie ahead.
However, in reality things did not go that way, and while the 2025/26 season was largely positive for Wearside as a whole, it turned out to be a personal nightmare for the number three.
Sirkin continues to be plagued by a series of injuries, with the 24-year-old looking uneasy as he is forced into the margins of the starting XI and has played just seven Premier League games.
In his last start against Spurs in early January, he won only two of five games and was wayward with his passing, losing possession eight times on just 30 touches.
A £20m move no longer appears to be on the cards for Sirkin, who is looking to follow in the footsteps of Pickford and Henderson.
In fact, his overall future is up in the air, with his contract at Sunderland set to expire in June due to his failures this season, and it looks like he will end up under manager Le Blis.
The next Enzo Le Fe could sign for Sunderland this summer
Sunderland could sign the exciting star in the summer as Regis Le Bris pursue the next Enzo Le Fe.
