Sunderland have sold their longest-serving player in Elliot Embleton.
The midfielder recently returned to training after spending almost two years on the sidelines with two serious injuries.
With only 12 months left on his contract at Sunderland, it was expected that Embleton would leave the club – but it was unclear whether that would be on loan or on a permanent deal.
With the likes of Derby County, MK Dons and Blackpool reportedly interested, Embleton opted to join the latter, having won promotion with the Seasiders in 2021.
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Elliot Embleton completes return to Blackpool
It was believed that the Black Cats would opt to sell Embleton to avoid losing him for free next summer, however fans were frustrated when it was claimed that they weren’t actually going to receive an initial fee and would include a hefty sell-on clause instead.
Journalist Michael Graham wrote on X: “Honestly, I don’t know what fee people expected for him. He’s been injured for 18 months, with two different injuries, and only has a year left on his contract. Got to be realistic.”
Despite his fair point, it now looks like Sunderland may have received a fee after all.
Blackpool confirmed his move on their official website this morning and wrote: “Blackpool Football Club is delighted to announce the return of Elliot Embleton from Sunderland for an undisclosed fee.”
It is unclear how much the League One outfit have spent on Embleton though, as he joins on a two-year deal with the option of a further year.
Would Sunderland prefer an initial fee or sell-on clause?
While it is unclear what ‘undisclosed fee’ actually means and could well be made up of add-ons, there is still the possibility that the club have actually earned a profit from his exit.
Sunderland were never going to make much of a fee on the 25-year-old due to his injury problems, but any cash can benefit them as they look to continue their transfer business.
It would be interesting to know if they are also picking up the sell-on clause previously mentioned, as that could come in very handy if he manages to avoid any further fitness issues at Blackpool.
If Embleton can help them win promotion back to the Championship with the form that Sunderland enjoyed during the 2021-22 season, then a sell-on clause could prove to be even more beneficial than an initial fee anyway.
Either way, it is a very sensible decision for Sunderland, who faced losing him for absolutely nothing next summer.
Embleton has made it clear in the past that he is a very solid League One player and there is no doubt he will impress next season, while he would have struggled to even pick up a handful of starts in the Championship.