Sunderland Chief Executive Officer Jim Rodwell has revealed the club's latest standpoint on new deals for players.

The Black Cats, who missed out on gaining a play-off place this term, due to League One being decided via a a points-per-game system, will look to rebuild their side this summer and improve on their eighth placed finish.

With the 2019/20 League One season now over, a whole host of players will see their current deals come to an end in the coming weeks which includes Scottish goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin, who looks set to join Championship side Blackburn Rovers.

Rodwell, who will be in charge of the club's transfer activity this summer, alongside boss Phil Parkinson, has now revealed where the club are in terms of new deals.

The Black Cats announced their retained list ahead of the 2020/2021 season earlier this week, confirming that new contracts had been offered to Chris Maguire, Tom Flanagan and the previously mentioned McLaughlin. Duncan Watmore, Alim Ozturk, Ethan Robson, Jack Baldwin and Joel Lynch will leave the club and Rodwell has touched on the latest movements in terms of contracts. “We've offered contracts to three of the guys, and at the moment we’re taking a punt,” he said, speaking to BBC Newcastle’s Total Sport.
“We haven’t offered contracts to anyone other than people in our squad currently.
“You have to tell them something – and I suppose the easiest decision would just have been to say to the guys that we would have a conversation with them in a month, two months.
“Those players, if there’s anyone else who is prepared to offer them a deal, they’re quite within their rights to do that anyway.
“But we thought the fair thing to do was that for the players we really saw as part of our future and trying to get promoted next season, we thought all we could do was offer them a contract. “It was as simple as that, but we’re fishing in the dark to be honest with you. It is a little bit of a punt.”

Whether or not it would be a good idea for Sunderland to keep hold of those players who have expiring contracts is a good debate.

Having failed to gain promotion, the club needs to make sure the right personnel are at the club ahead of the 2020/2021 season.

Who do you think Sunderland should sign this summer in the transfer window? Let us know in the comments section below...