The players who could leave Sunderland this summer
Jay Matete – Matete joined Sunderland from Fleetwood Town on deadline day of the January transfer window, during the promotion winning campaign. Matete made 14 appearances as the Black Cats won promotion from League One, but he has failed to hold down a position in the first team. Matete made 8 Championship appearances during the 22/23 season starting just one game, Matete subsequently signed for League One champions Plymouth Argyle on loan in January. Matete failed to make a single appearance in the early stages of the 23/24 season and was sent out on loan to Oxford United, where he has made just 6 appearances. It is likely that Kristjaan Speakman will look to cash in on Matete in the summer.
Jack Clarke – Clarke has been the subject of Premier League interest for a long while, specifically Burnley, Brentford and Crystal Palace. Clarke was also subject to a bid from Italian giants in January, which was swiftly rejected by the Black Cats. Clarke has had 2 brilliant seasons at Championship level with Sunderland therefore a move to the highest level seems likely to take place this summer. It is yet to be revealed what kind of fee Sunderland would accept for Clarke’s services, but it is widely believed an offer of £20 million would tempt Sunderland into a deal.
Dan Ballard – Ballard was signed from Arsenal in the summer of 2022 for a fee of £2 million. After an injury hit first season on Wearside, Ballard stepped up for the 23/24 season and formed a strong partnership with Luke O’Nien. The pair were at the heart of the 5th best defence in the league for the majority of the season, with Jenson Seelt occasionally stepping into the team. Ballard had some Premier League interest from Everton earlier in the year, Ipswich Town have also been linked with a move for the centre back after their recent promotion to the Premier League.
Anthony Patterson – Patterson has been the number one at Sunderland for 2 seasons now. His run of starting every league game since Sunderland’s 2-1 away loss at Cheltenham Town in February 2022 came to an end on the last day of the season, with Nathan Bishop coming in for his Championship debut. Understandably, Patterson has attracted interest from the Premier League. It has been widely reported, notably by the BBC, that Liverpool are keeping tabs on Patterson with current back up goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher expected to leave in the search for first team football.
