Harrison Jones has joined Peterborough United on a permanent deal, bringing an end to his more than 15-year association with Sunderland.
A boyhood Black Cat, Jones progressed through the club’s academy ranks and went on to captain the Under-21 side on numerous occasions.
He made his senior debut in August 2024, coming off the bench in a 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Preston North End. He also made his first senior start in an FA Cup defeat to Stoke City at the Stadium of Light.
Jones made his Championship
debut at Hillsborough in February 2025, appearing as a substitute in Sunderland’s 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
The midfielder was an integral part of Graeme Murty’s Under-21 side that reached the 2023-24 Premier League 2 play-off final against Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, overcoming West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers along the way.
Jones also captained Sunderland Under-21s to their first-ever Premier League Cup final in May, where they were beaten 2-1 by Burnley at the Stadium of Light.
Club captain Luke O’Nien paid a glowing tribute to Jones after Sunderland’s victory over Chelsea secured Europa League qualification.
“The parts about Harrison Jones that no one will see – that fella’s obviously incredible,” said O’Nien.
“For the last two years, he’s been one of the most consistent trainers in the first team every single day. When you don’t play, the culture goes to those sorts of people.
“He’s been one of the things I’ve been most proud of. Europe’s cool, but seeing Jonesy and the way he’s matured over the last two, three, four years – the person he’s become, as well as the footballer – that means more.”
Now 21 years old, it feels like the right time for both player and club to move on. Peterborough offers Jones the opportunity to play regular senior football, something that can only aid his development.
He leaves Sunderland having made just seven senior appearances, but that figure does not tell the full story of his time at the club. Jones dedicated his life to Sunderland and represented the club with commitment and professionalism throughout his journey.
Go well, Harrison!
Aleksić Leaves on Loan
Sunderland have confirmed that midfielder Milan Aleksić has rejoined Partizan Belgrade, returning to the club where he came through the academy.
Sunderland announced the move as a loan deal for the 2026/27 season. However, the Serbian side have revealed that the agreement includes a contractual option to buy at the end of the loan.
The midfielder joined Sunderland in August 2024 on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported to be around the £3 million mark. At the time, he was the most expensive player Sunderland had purchased under Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ ownership.
Aleksić made his Championship debut away at Millwall, a game in which many will remember he missed a glorious opportunity to put the Lads 2-0 up.
He scored his first Sunderland goal against Stoke City in the FA Cup third round, when he came off the bench in a 2-1 defeat.
In September 2025, Aleksić moved to Polish side KS Cracovia on a season-long loan. He made eight appearances across all competitions before Sunderland recalled him from that spell in January 2026. He also made a couple of appearances for the Under-21s towards the back end of the season.
For what was a significant outlay at the time for Sunderland, it’s fair to say Aleksić should be filed under those that didn’t work out for Kristjaan Speakman and Stuart Harvey. Potentially, it is one reason why both are no longer at the club.
Sunderland’s domestic recruitment has produced plenty of success stories, including Dan Ballard and Trai Hume, both of whom continue to shine. In contrast, too many overseas signings have failed to make a meaningful impact, leaving the club still trying to move them on through permanent deals.
