At the end of the 2025/2026 season, as Sunderland’s players, fans and coaches basked in the elation of having qualified for the Europa League in the most thrilling fashion, Florent Ghisolfi was at the heart of the on-pitch celebrations, joining in the party with the likes of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Régis Le Bris – and why not?
Along with Kristjaan Speakman, Ghisolfi had built a squad that proved good enough to stay the course and secure the club’s highest top-flight league position in twenty-five
years.
After a memorable campaign, it was a laudable achievement; a triumph of savvy recruitment and the mixture of youth and experience, as well as Le Bris’ ability to mould a diverse group of players into an efficient and ferociously competitive unit.
As we fantasised about what lay beyond the summer and which continental heavyweights we would be welcoming to Wearside, it felt as though Ghisolfi had already cemented his place as one of the most effective operators to pass this way in a long time. Indeed, perhaps he even had a list to hand, filled with possible transfer targets and the calibre of player he’d like to add to the red and white ranks for 2026/2027.
And yet here we are, a matter of weeks before another historic season begins, and we’re yet to make a major impact in the transfer market.
Are people panicking? No, but ahead of the opening game against Ipswich, it’s not unreasonable to say that this has been a surprisingly quiet window for Sunderland, especially given how demanding this season is sure to be and the opportunities it could bring.
One first-team player has arrived on a free transfer in the shape of the experienced Thomas Meunier, and he’ll doubtless establish himself as a solid and valuable member of the squad, given his trophy-winning pedigree and international experience.
On the flip side, several good players have departed – most notably Eliezer Mayenda to Rennes for a chunky fee – and no further breakthroughs have been made yet, with protracted deals for the likes of Dayann Méthalie not completed, while fellow Premier League clubs continue to forge ahead and strengthen their squads. Not ideal, in my view.
That said, to claim the picture is negative or that we’re heading for trouble would be entirely wrong.
At the time of writing, despite fears that our best prospects are being cherry-picked following last season’s exploits and their efforts at the World Cup, the core of our squad remains strong and dynamic, filled with creativity and youthful zeal, and loaded with quality.
A total overhaul was never on the cards this summer, nor was it needed, with Saturday’s victory over Ligue 1 heavyweights and Champions League-bound Lens offering plenty of encouragement about the potential currently on tap.
At the same time, our squad lacks depth in key positions and is arguably not currently strong enough to balance the demands of a European campaign and a domestic schedule – the target of which during the latter must surely be another top-ten finish as opposed to dropping off the pace and merely settling for a campaign of lower mid-table obscurity.
At the very least, a reliable and capable deputy for Reinildo is a must, as is an assist-producing, dynamic right winger.
Lingering injury concerns for Dan Ballard and Omar Alderete mean that we could more than likely use an extra combative central defender, as well as a durable, game-breaking and high-class midfielder that can offer depth and hope of a bright future in the long term when Granit Xhaka eventually calls it a day.
The futures of Jenson Seelt, Aji Alese, Anthony Patterson, Abdoullah Ba, Alan Browne, Romaine Mundle and Simon Adingra almost certainly need to be clarified before the window closes. Loan deals for several of our youngsters could well be on the agenda, and let’s hope the club’s hardline stance on Wilson Isidor holds firm as rumours about his future continue to swirl.
After an unprecedented post-promotion recruitment drive, miracles weren’t asked for nor expected this time around, and I daresay you wouldn’t find a single Sunderland fan who would claim a £100 million-plus spending spree every summer is a viable option.
We all know that the rules have changed and that financial regulations are forcing sides to go about their business in unconventional ways, and the sale of Mayenda was proof that our own way of operating is working well.
On the other hand, is the pull of European football alone enough in a rampant sellers’ market, and are the going rates for players in that bracket simply higher than we’d ideally be prepared to pay?
Speakman, of course, is no longer here.
He’s now working in Denmark at FC Copenhagen, but whether the departure of a man whose vision for Sunderland and determination to see the plan through was set in stone has had a greater impact than we might’ve anticipated is unknown. Therefore, this is Ghisolfi’s time. He’s clearly a very capable operator who’s now looking in new markets in the wake of European qualification, and all we can do is hope that he delivers.
Of course, the dividing line between a ‘meltdown’ and reasoned discussion is often blurry, but I believe these points are valid and that we should be able to raise them in a balanced way without being skewered for it or resorting to dreary, hackneyed old favourites such as “There’s no ambition” and “We’ve clearly got no money”.
Phrases such as “trust the process” are popular in this situation, and the club hierarchy has certainly earned the faith being shown by the fans, but at some stage this month, that surely needs to be acted upon.
Fortunately, there’s still time for things to happen, for any fears to be eased and for the preparations to ramp up. The post-match comments from Le Bris on Saturday were encouraging, and it feels like we’re set to change gear in our quest to address the weaknesses in the squad.
We clearly have the capacity to cut deals, to flex our muscles and to show that 2025/2026 wasn’t a flash in the pan but merely the start of a journey that’ll see Sunderland regularly mixing it with the league’s big hitters.
Not bolstering the squad to an appropriate degree would be a misstep. Hoping that minimal transfer activity will bear fruit would be questionable, and failure to maximise the opportunity that lies before us would be negligent.
Let’s hope for some positive developments soon.
