Forget the pandemonium of old. Sunderland is spending, but this time, there’s a plan behind it.
When Sunderland last participated in the Premier League in 2017, £13.6 million was enough to break the club’s transfer record. That fee attracted Didier Ndong. Asamoah Gyan had already received £13 million.
Jeremain Lens and Steven Fletcher were not far behind. And that was regarded as excessive spending. Fast forward to 2025, and the same numbers will not even get you a Championship youngster with Premier League potential. That explains everything you need to know about how the Premier League has evolved, as well as how Sunderland has had to adapt.
When Sunderland last participated in the Premier League in 2017, £13.6 million was enough to break the club’s transfer record. That fee attracted Didier Ndong. Asamoah Gyan had already received £13 million.
Jeremain Lens and Steven Fletcher were not far behind. And that was regarded as excessive spending. Fast forward to 2025, and the same numbers will not even get you a Championship youngster with Premier League potential. That explains everything you need to know about how the Premier League has evolved, as well as how Sunderland has had to adapt.
That’s a potential transfer fee outlay of £85 million on four key players to kick things off this summer if all goes well – a staggering figure for a club that was only recently scouring the free agent market, and that’s before you consider the money spent to complete Reinildo’s free agent signing. It demonstrates not simply the scope of Sunderland’s ambition, but also how far the game and the club’s thinking have progressed. Diarra’s decision to turn off other Premier League “projects” to come to Wearside indicates that Sunderland’s pitch is now compelling. This has not always been the case.
Because for years, Sunderland bounced from one unsuccessful concept to the next. This was a club without identity or direction, from Ellis Short’s rash judgments to Margaret Byrne’s gaffes, from Roberto De Fanti to Martin Bain, and that’s before we even get into the manager turnover. Desperate to survive, they payed players who didn’t want to be there and had no clear strategy for growth or improvement. Sunderland’s ten-year run in the first division seems noteworthy in retrospect. Now the picture is very different.
There’s value in making a plan and sticking to it. That is exactly what is happening right now. Kristjaan Speakman, Stuart Harvey, Régis Le Bris, and Florent Ghisolfi are all heading in the same path. Each has a defined function, a strong belief in the endeavor, and most importantly, trust in one another. Ghisolfi, a highly recognized operator who turned down offers from Juventus, Fiorentina, and Newcastle to join Sunderland, adds even more strategic firepower to an already savvy team. Le Bris’ input certainly has weight, and the alignment at the top is effective. It gives the impression that everyone – staff, players, supporters – is on the same page.
It may not be enough to keep Sunderland in the division this season. The Premier League is ruthless and unforgiving. But you get the impression that, at the very least, the club is giving it a fair shot – and doing so with a plan. This is no longer a club that operates solely on the whims of one guy. This is a club that has laid the basis. One that has spent three years building carefully, focusing on youth, identity, and sustainability. Like Brighton. Like Brentford.
So, certainly, £30 million is a massive fee. However, in today’s Premier League, that is the going rate for genuine desire. Sunderland could wind up spending nearly three times as much. Eight years ago, the club’s largest outlays resulted in pandemonium and relegation. In 2025, they might just provide control, clarity, and survival. Here’s hope.
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