Sunderland should think twice about selling player who divides opinion: View

As one of the only experienced players in the squad, Alex Pritchard could play a vital role for the Black Cats in the coming months

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, who acquired a controlling stake in Sunderland in the summer of 2022, established a well-defined transfer strategy for the Black Cats, which has largely been followed.

The club’s objective is to sign young, motivated players that can contribute right away to the first team; players like Pierre Ekwah, Jack Clarke, and Dan Ballard accomplished this last season.

Jobe Bellingham and other players were added to that this past summer, but Jude’s brother has had the biggest impact thus far. It’s uncommon for a club manager to have any actual influence over recruitment; instead, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is responsible for making the best decisions.

Just as Tony Mowbray was able to bring Bradley Dack to the Stadium of Light during the summer, there will be the occasional manager-driven signing. When the January transfer market begins, he will be one of only three players in the club’s roster who are 30 years of age or older.

The average age of the Sunderland team has significantly decreased. Additionally, despite being the club’s 2022–2023 Player of the Year, Danny Batth was let go this past summer and subsequently secured a move to Norwich City.

Who might be the next person to receive the axe? Alright, that might just be Alex Pritchard.

Pritchard rarely starts but his impact is evident

After a dismal stint at Huddersfield Town, Pritchard sought to get his career back on track. He had previously played Premier League football and had starring performances in the Championship. In 2021, the chance to join Sunderland on a free transfer presented itself.

Pritchard contributed 13 goals in the third division during the 2021–22 season as Sunderland won the Championship, and he scored four goals and provided seven assists in the previous campaign in a higher division, so it seemed that the drop to League One was just what he needed.

Despite Tony Mowbray’s expectation that Pritchard would leave, he withstood the summer cull and continued to utilize the 30-year-old, primarily from the bench, until his resignation as head coach.

Pritchard did, however, manage an assist in each of his two rare starts against Blackburn and Cardiff earlier in the season. More recently, he regained form, providing two assists off the bench against West Brom and setting up Jobe Bellingham’s winning goal against Leeds despite starting as a false nine.

Even if Pritchard may not start as often as he would want, he is still obviously useful. His contract is slated to end in the summer of 2024, so Mick Beale, the anticipated replacement head coach, and Speakman, the sporting director, will have to make a significant decision.

In the second part of the season, Pritchard’s experience might be crucial; Sunderland shouldn’t sell in January.

Given Pritchard’s recent influence, some consideration will need to be given to his future before the January transfer market opens.

It’s obvious that Sunderland hasn’t been eager to hold onto many of its more experienced players, but Pritchard, who is thirty years old, still has a lot to contribute at the Championship level and expertise that many of the team lacks.

And with the Black Cats contending for the playoffs again, as they did the previous year, Pritchard would offer a calm presence and a level head in the locker room, something that players like Batth would have done the previous year.

A transfer policy that prioritizes developing young players is all well and good, but it also needs to strike a healthy balance. Pritchard is a player who can greatly assist in striking that balance, and in close games during the second half of the season, his inventiveness may be able to break through some formidable second-tier defenses.

Pritchard is a player they should aim to retain for the duration of the season, but there may be interest in the upcoming transfer window as teams try to take advantage of his contract situation. International teams can also make pre-contract approaches for next summer.