In a series of interviews, Kristjaan Speakman has been evaluating Sunderland’s transfer window. Obviously, Speakman oversaw every in and out, so the spin is generally positive, but that said, apart from selling our biggest asset, failing to bring in an experienced out and out striker and cover at full back, it’s generally been a decent window
KEEPING KEY PLAYERS
“We’ve turned down bids throughout the course of the window. I think there’s probably six, seven, maybe even eight players that we were receiving bids and interest on, and where we could quite easily have accepted significant fees. But we’ve chosen not to do that, which I just think shows where the ownership’s heads are at, and where we’re at as a football club. Hopefully, with the team at the minute, we’re on the up.”
TURNING DOWN £2M BRIGHTON BID FOR TOMMY J
“Tommy is a young player that we have high hopes for. He’s right on the fringes of the team, and we’re really hopefully that he can try to get some minutes this year, although it’s going to be more difficult than ever because the team is performing at a higher level than ever. But he will be supported and we will keep trying to find those opportunities for him. It’s flattering when Premier League clubs are making bids on your players. But is it an easy thing to decline? Yes, because that’s where the club’s at and that’s the position the club is adopting. We’re in a really, strong healthy position where it’s not really a big topic of conversation because the type of value that you’re talking about (with the Watson bid), we value the players higher than that and believe in the players more. For us, it’s really able to side-step those.”
SUSTAINABLE
“I don’t think we’re trying to make a statement by doing that (turning down bids). I think we’re trying to run a sustainable football club. We’re trying to stick to our strategy, and we’re trying to stick to our values and beliefs about how the football club should be run. We’ve always said that our strategy is not a player-trading strategy – our strategy is trying to build, develop and grow a football club. A byproduct of that is that there will be times where you lose players. You’ll lose a Ross Stewart because a time will come where the stars align and that’s the right decision. It’s the same with a Jack Clarke. But on the other 97 per cent of players, we’re committed, we’re turning down bids, we’re restructuring contracts and we’re retaining those players.”
CLUB BECOMES STRONGER
“Through those mechanisms, the team becomes stronger and the club becomes stronger. I’d be surprised if there is another club in the Championship, outside of a relegated club, that’s got a stronger or more valuable group than we’ve got, which considering where we picked the club up at four years ago, is really pleasing. Hopefully, that gives a lot of joy and a lot of comfort to supporters.”
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