Going into the run in, there are a number of Sunderland players whose contracts expire in the summer of 2022. In the third tier, players come and go freely on shorter contracts and there is often what feels like a mass influx and exodus at the end of the campaign. We evaluate who it is worthwhile keeping, although of course the decision isn’t ours to make. We have also covered which loan players we feel we should be looking to sign, which is available here.
ARBENIT XHEMAJLI: RENEW
It would be ludicrous for us not to tie Arby down to a new deal. We have been patient with the Kosovan centre half, but he has finally demonstrated that the club’s patience can be rewarded. Still only 23, he looks assured, physical and he reads the game really well. In short, Arby is basically an anomaly in terms of our defensive recruitment in recent years. We are short of reinforcements at centre half and Xhemajli really looks like one for the future and, if we were to get promoted, you could expect him to make the step up to the Championship.
LEE BURGE: DON’T RENEW
In Burge’s 66 Sunderland appearances, he has rarely looked anything more than average. Realistically, despite his flaws, Burge is an above average keeper for this league. Error prone, yet weirdly reliable which seems like an oxymoron, but it’s sort of true. But the fact of the matter is, Lee Burge is a League One keeper and nothing more. It would be impossible to expect him to make the step up to the Championship, should we achieve promotion and it’s probably best off if he leaves. With Anthony Patterson and Ron-Thorben Hoffmann (who has a buyout in his loan) at the club who are younger, better keepers, retaining Burge is expedient. If we don’t sign Hoffmann, it will not be too difficult to loan in another keeper and we should look to sign another player who is better than Burge, should we go up.
AIDEN MCGEADY: DON’T RENEW
Let’s face it; McGeady is going to retire at the end of the season. He has been groomed for a punditry role and is dipping his toes into matchday analysis. Increasingly, the powers that be at Sky Sports are turning to McGeady and we will soon see him doing the pre-match build up of a Celtic game next season. I imagine he has a massive house near Glasgow and he will want to be back there soon with his family. I don’t blame him. I can’t envisage a scenario where he is a Sunderland player next year, although part of me kind of wishes he would be around the team. If we’d have signed the tricky winger a few years earlier than we did, who knows what could have happened...
JERMAIN DEFOE: DON’T RENEW
Ditto, Defoe. It would be great to see him continue in some capacity at our club, but he is another one who has been courted by the sports media. Sky Sports beckons. He has enjoyed a taste of punditry this season already after leaving Rangers and despite doing his coaching badges, perhaps his immediate future lies in the studio. Regardless, will he pull on the red and white shirt another time as a 40-year-old? I don’t think so and it probably isn’t financially viable for us. There are a handful of games left and who knows if he will get 90 minutes in that entire time.
LYNDEN GOOCH: UNDECIDED
This is one I’m torn between. He is inconsistent at League One level, but shows glimpses of being a decent player to have around the squad. I have reservations over his ability to start every game and I would only be comfortable if he renewed and I could somehow have assurances he will be restricted to as few appearances as possible, only donning a red and white shirt in times where we are desperately short of fit players. When he has a run of games, you realise how limited he can be. He doesn’t have a footballing brain; his decision making is so poor. We do win more games with him in the team, the numbers prove this and in our young side he is one of the few experienced heads. Perhaps it is time for the only survivor of the Big Sam era to move on. In that respect, he is a relic of a player, but he can perform well on his day, the way he handled James McClean against Wigan demonstrates how he can prove useful. But, overall I’m going to go for the following: If we’re in League One, keep him. If we aren’t, it’s time to move him on. I bet he’ll have a decent autobiography about his time as SAFC in a few years, mind.
BAILEY WRIGHT: RENEW
I think this in an obvious one. I assume Bailey will be offered a new deal very soon, he ought to be. He is a good League One defender and he has played in the Championship before, so either way it makes complete sense to iron out a new deal. He could easily be captain, as he has been at certain moments during the season, and with our lack of centre halves, it would be completely unreasonable to let him go. Recruitment wise, we are unlikely to bring in someone like for like with his ability and experience. He does admittedly have the odd stinker, as showcased by Fleetwood’s opener at the Stadium of Light.
JORDAN WILLIS: DON’T RENEW
It’s unlikely Jordan Willis will ever play for us again. Lee Johnson even gave him a job as a scout apparently, so perhaps we will retain him in this role. Perhaps he will turn in to a Piet De Visser type figure that will unearth top talent much in the same way as a reliable pig reveals truffles. But since this probably isn’t the case and it’s far more likely Johnson gave him some assignments so that he could earn his wage and alleviate some boredom, unless he recovers from injury super quickly, Willis will surely not have his contract renewed.
BENJI KIMPIOKA: DON’T RENEW
If we are honest, Benji just isn’t going to make it at the club. Though he has been restricted in terms of game time, we have probably seen enough and successive managers have also seen enough, to decide that he just isn’t good enough. Who knows, perhaps he will stumble upon this article and in ten years time, reflect back on his incredible career with a smile. But it is much more likely his career will go the way of Rees Greenwood, David Moberg Karlsson and Charis Mavrias. When he played in the EFL Trophy, his erratic way of dribbling was actually incredible to watch. It was reminiscent of an insect moving with a couple of broken appendages, slipping and sliding about and almost falling over itself. But, obviously an insect isn’t a footballer and at this stage, it doesn’t look like Benji is one either.
WILL GRIGG: DON’T RENEW
Do I need to explain this one? Stewart Donald infamously embarrassed himself in front of the TV cameras, in a risky transfer that was doomed from the start. Jack Ross didn’t want Grigg from the start, and he’s never wanted to be here. The ‘striker’ has missed sitter after sitter, and has only looked half-decent when he’s been loaned to our League One rivals. If there’s anyone at Sunderland AFC that wants to renew Will Grigg’s contract, they need to take a long, hard look at themselves in the mirror.
