Alan Nixon has provided some clarity over the recent news regarding Alex Pritchard and his Sunderland future.
Sunderland announced shortly before today’s Championship clash vs Stoke City that Pritchard would be unavailable.
Their statement revealed that Pritchard had made himself unavailable for selection, subsequently withdrawing from today’s squad and expressing his desire to leave the club with immediate effect.
The news come amid a brewing saga regarding the 30-year-old; Sunderland tried to move him on in the summer but a recent impressive run of form in the side has given the club reason to extend his stay beyond this summer.
And Nixon has now provided some insight into the latest update.
Alan Nixon provides Alex Pritchard clarity after Sunderland offer
Posting on Patreon, Nixon has revealed that Pritchard’s ‘row’ with Sunderland is ‘over the length of the deal he has been offered’.
Simply put; Sunderland have offered Pritchard a one-year extension, as revealed earlier this week, but Pritchard wants longer.
Nixon adds that Pritchard has a longer contract offer from abroad and that he could get a one-year deal with Tony Mowbray at Birmingham City.
Lastly, Pritchard adds that Pritchard was happy to stay at the Stadium of Light, though this recent update suggests that Pritchard will be leaving the club during this month’s transfer window.
Black Cats’ vision getting in the way of actual progress
Many have already argued this point, and many will continue to do so, but Sunderland are proving overly-ruthless in implementing their longer-term vision for the club.
Again, they deserve praise for having a vision and working hard to lay it out. But coming to this conclusion with a key player in Pritchard is a sign of unrest at the club, and maybe Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Kristjaan Speakman and co need to have a rethink about they want to move the club forward in the shorter-term.
Under-fire boss Michael Beale could really do with having Pritchard at his disposal, but now it looks like the club will be forced to sell him om the cheap before February 1st, and during some of the best form of his career.
Replacing him will certainly be tough, and losing him only takes away from a Sunderland attack that is already struggling to get points on the board right now.
Up next after Stoke City is a trip to Middlesbrough next weekend.