Sunderland are performing well in League One and look to have a solid chance of returning to the Championship at the first time of asking.
Jack Ross witnessed his side go second in the table with a draw against Wycombe Wanderers at the weekend, leaving them two points from leaders Portsmouth.
The Black Cats have also been largely successful off the pitch as well as they have managed to offload the likes of Papy Djilobodji and Didier Ndong from their books, with the club set to receive a €4million payout should the latter join a club in the winter, as per the Northern Echo.
However, that same report has revealed that Sunderland could also have a challenging 12 months ahead of them as they are looking to cut costs even further.
Director of Football, Charlie Methven, has revealed that he aims to have the losses of the Black Cats down to just £4m a year, with a current base at £28m.
“We’ve got the cost base to about £28m,” he told the Northern Echo.
“Further efficiencies and cuts are needed, and it’s harder and harder. We hope to be at £22m next summer.
“We are still losing money. By next summer, the loss since we came in will be around £10m-15m for the season. Juan Sartori and Stewart Donald will be covering that.
“By the next summer, running losses will be down to £3-4m a year, but at the same time, either through cup runs or selling players, that gap may be bridged.
“If Sunderland was a patient, it is off the critical list. But it’s still in hospital. To get out of casualty, we have to make more tough decisions in the next seven months before we’re properly back on our feet again.”
The Verdict:
Although cost-cutting is always a concerning course of action, it is one that is certainly needed at Sunderland as they continue to have huge costs from their Premier League and Championship days.
As Methven said, cup runs are likely to be the best way for the club to get some financial injections, whilst also winning promotion is going to help them address the issues they face as well.
However, the possibility of selling some of their players, with the likes of Josh Maja attracting interest, will likely be their last resort and will want to try and avoid that route at all costs.
Sunderland fans – thoughts?
