Sunderland expect Charlie Wyke to leave the club on a free transfer this summer, according to a recent report from Football Insider

Wyke is out of contract with the Black Cats heading into the summer, and it appears as though he won't be extending his stay at the Stadium of Light.

The forward has been with the club since 2018, having previously played for the likes of Bradford City and Carlisle United earlier in his career.

He has caught the eye with a number of impressive performances for Sunderland in this year's campaign, as they looked to challenge for promotion into the Championship whilst under the management of Lee Johnson.

Wyke netted 30 goals and was on hand to provide five assists for his Sunderland team-mates this term, but his efforts weren't quite enough to see them promoted into the second-tier of English football.

The Black Cats were beaten on aggregate by Lincoln City in their play-off semi-final, much to the frustration of the Stadium of Light faithful.

Wyke's future has been the main talking point amongst supporters heading into the 2021/22 campaign, and it appears as though he'll be heading for the exit door.

He has previously been linked with moves to the likes of Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough, but Football Insider recently reported that he had emerged as a transfer target for League One rivals Ipswich Town.

Sunderland have previously revealed that they are in talks with Wyke over a new deal, but Football Insider claim that there is growing expectation that he'll leave the club on a free transfer this summer.

 

 

The Verdict: 

I'm not surprised by this.

Wyke has shown that he can score goals at this level, and I think he deserves a chance to impress at a higher level than League One next season.

It'll be interesting to see where he ends up though, as there are a number of teams rumoured to be interested in striking an agreement to land his signature.

Wyke will leave a sizeable void in the Sunderland team though, and it's vital that Lee Johnson looks to find a good enough replacement for him heading into the new league campaign.

This will be a frustrating update for the Stadium of Light faithful though.