Sunderland are preparing for a busy few months in the transfer market.

It's not yet known which division the club will be playing their football in - after all, they potentially have three play-off matches to conquer before they can consider themselves promotion.

But whether Lee Johnson's side are in the Championship or League One, there are likely to be wholesale changes.

This will be Kyril-Louis Dreyfus's first summer as chairman and with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman now in position, fans are likely to get their first glimpse of how the new structure will operate when it comes to recruitment.

Here's the latest transfer news to come from the Stadium Of Light.

Sunderland plot move for Championship man

The Black Cats are among the clubs interested in a move for Rotherham United's Clark Robertson, according to Football Insider.

The defender is out of contract next month, and with no new deal yet agreed with the Millers, it seems increasingly likely that he could be heading for the exit door.

Robertson has featured just 16 times for Rotherham this term and is now said to be attracting interest from Fleetwood Town, Plymouth and his former club Aberdeen.

Steve Howey predicts summer shake-up

The Sunderland-born ex-defender has predicted that Lee Johnson may look to make significant changes to the squad if the club secure promotion this term.

The Black Cats are potentially three matches away from promotion, but according to Howey, there will be work to do if they're to compete in the second tier.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Howey said: "They keep relying on Aiden McGeady but you could talk about Charlie Wyke and one or two others.

"They've just got to try and regain the form that they had prior to, well, a bit of a meltdown really.

"They've got players that could that could get them into the Championship, but if they did get promoted there would have to be quite a quite a bit of a shake-up because they'd just come straight back down."

 

 

Lee Johnson will have 'final decision' on summer transfers.

Kristjaan Speakman has handed some good news to the head coach as Sunderland prepare for a busy summer transfer window.

The Wearsiders are planning some significant business in the coming months, but according to the club's new sporting director, the key to smart recruitment will be finding a player that everyone is happy with.

Speaking on the SAFC Unfiltered podcast, Speakman said: "It's always a question that gets raised because there's always this sort of start point that everyone has a different position.

"If you think about a top-down approach, and an identity that you're trying to create for Sunderland, then you've got this footballing philosophy and then you've got a game model and you're looking for players to fit the game model.
"If we all understand the identity, the football philosophy and the game model then you shouldn't be too far apart on the players you're looking for to fit it. Therefore you're starting to really discuss the various intricacies of that list of players.
"Ultimately, it has to fit a financial model and it has to fit the needs of the squad composition. That's where I'm responsible in terms of making sure the squad composition is correct, it fits in with the succession planning, and it meets the financial elements of either the budget or the long-term planning.
"But then it has to be a player that Lee wants to pick in the team, otherwise there's absolutely zero point. So if you like, the final decision is Lee's."