Sunderland will face one more game to decide their fate for next season.

A match with Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley Stadium will determine the final promotion place in League One for this year.

Victory will see the winner move to the Championship for the next campaign, with the Black Cats hoping to return to the second division for the first time since 2018.

Regardless of where Sunderland end up, the club will need to start planning for what could be a potentially busy summer ahead.

Here are four transfer matters that Alex Neil will have to deal with very soon…

Retained list

The likes of Patrick Roberts, Bailey Wright, Lynden Gooch and Aiden McGeady are just some of the players that have expiring contracts at the Stadium of Light.

Their futures will need to be determined quickly, with Gooch in particular being an important player to the team this campaign.

Roberts stepped up with the winning goal in the play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday, but that could be the last goal he scores for the club.

Leon Dajaku’s option to buy

Dajaku’s loan agreement came with an option for the move to be made permanent.

The forward has played 22 times for the Black Cats this season and has had his highs and lows under Lee Johnson and Neil.

But the club will need to determine whether he is a player they would like to keep in the team long-term, or if this will be it for his time at the Stadium of Light.

Nathan Broadhead’s future

The Everton loanee has been a useful part of the Sunderland defence this season.

However, the agreement for his temporary switch to the Black Cats did not come with any clauses which could make the move permanent.

 

 

But Neil could still yet decide he would like the club to attempt to keep the 24-year old at the club on a permanent basis, or even on another short-term deal.

This will need to be figured out quickly, with Broadhead likely to be looking for more first team minutes next season, where he plies his trade.

Goalkeeper situation

Ron Thorben-Hoffmann arrived in the summer on a loan deal from Bayern Munich but all indications suggest he will be returning to Germany this summer.

While his initial stint in goal proved he had the talent to perform at this level, he has been out of the team under Neil.

Anthony Patterson has replaced the German in goals, but the club will need to make a decision over whether the 22-year old is the long-term choice the team needs between the sticks.

Otherwise, Neil will need to be in the market for a new first choice goalkeeper this summer.