Sunderland are shrewd operators in the transfer market. They’ve been smart with their investments over the last few years, marking a huge shift in the club’s transfer approach compared to old.
Stretching back to when Sunderland were in the Premier League, to the seasons just before Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman both arrived at the club at the end of 2020 and the start of 2021, the Black Cats spent poorly.
Millions of pounds were spent on players who either under-performed or eventually left for much less than was originally invested. But under Louis-Dreyfus and Speakman, there’s a clear vision for the future, and we’re seeing clear results.
Last summer, Sunderland sold Jack Clarke to Ipswich Town in a £20million deal. Right now, the likes of Jobe Bellingham is being linked with a £20million move with multiple clubs keen, and multiple other Sunderland players wanted by top clubs.
It’s an ode to Speakman and the fine work he’s done over the last few years. Next summer, he could pull off another bit of fine business by selling Nazariy Rusyn.
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Hajduk Split have option to buy Sunderland loan man Nazariy Rusyn
As was widely expected before the January transfer window opened, Rusyn has left Sunderland. The Ukrainian has joined Croatian side Hajduk Split on loan for the remainder of the season after a tough first half of the campaign under Regis Le Bris at the Stadium of Light.
Many expected Rusyn to leave permanently. And despite him only joining Split on loan, they do have the option to make his stay permanent at the end of the 2024/25 campaign. Croatian outlet Nogomania report that Split have a €2.5million (£2.1million) option to buy the 26-year-old.
Sunderland signed Rusyn from Ukrainian side Zorya in 2023, paying a reported £2.5million fee. The striker went on to score just twice in 29 total Championship games for the Black Cats.
Kristjaan Speakman will be laughing if Sunderland make back Nazariy Rusyn millions
Whilst Speakman deserves huge praise for some of the signings he’s made, there has been some flops, with Rusyn definitely one of them.
There was arguably added pressure for Rusyn to perform given the fact that Sunderland spent quite well on him. But if the club can now make back the bulk of that £2.5million fee then Speakman and co will be laughing. Rusyn has been pretty woeful for Sunderland so making the most of their money back would make his signing a relatively inexpensive gamble.
It all depends on how he performs in Croatia, though. If he performs well then Split may not think twice about signing him. Likewise, if he performs well then he might be given another chance at Sunderland in the summer pre-season.