While Sunderland’s first-team players were battling to a disappointing 2-2 draw against Plymouth Argyle yesterday, one fringe player was sealing a switch away from the club.
The January transfer window has been relatively successful for Sunderland so far, with the statement signing of Enzo Le Fee getting fans very excited indeed.
The Black Cats also let Aaron Connolly leave on a free to join Millwall, while youngster Zak Johnson has teamed up with Notts County for a loan spell until the end of the season.
Now, another exit has been secured, for a player that Regis Le Bris clearly had no interest in using in his team.
Nazariy Rusyn joins Hajduk Split on loan
The latest confirmed Sunderland transfer sees Ukrainian attacker, Nazariy Rusyn, join Croatian side Hajduk Split on loan until the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
As part of the agreement, the club confirmed Split has the option to make Rusyn’s stay there permanent, but that will depend on how he fares at his new club for the next few months.
On the move, Kristjaan Speakman said: “We wanted to find the right opening in this window for Nazariy to play more minutes and Hajduk represents a great opportunity for him.
“The combination of playing style and a Club competing for a league title provides the perfect foundation for him at this moment in time and we wish him well for the remainder of the season.”
Regis Le Bris stated a Rusyn exit was close last week, but he turned down the chance to join Aberdeen before the switch to Split came along.
Sunderland will hope loan deal becomes a permanent switch
Popular opinion on Wearside has not been kind to Rusyn, who has failed to live up to the hype bestowed upon him when he first joined. First-team football has been hard to come by under various different coaches, and sadly, it just hasn’t worked out for the 26-year-old.
Le Bris is clearly building something here at Sunderland, and moving on players he doesn’t need is just as important as bringing in new ones.
The key now is for Rusyn to prove himself in Croatia and secure that permanent transfer — something he will naturally be just as hungry for as anyone.
This is a real chance to get his career back on track, and hopefully he can do that while also helping Sunderland recoup some of the £2.5m they spent on him.