Sunderland weighing up January loan options for Costa Rica winger Jewison Bennette

Jewison Bennette has barely figured for Sunderland so far this season and a loan move in January could suit all parties

If Sunderland can find the perfect team for Jewison Bennette, they may send him out on loan in January. Bennette, an international player from Costa Rica, has not started a Championship game for the Black Cats and has been a bit part of the team since coming to Wearside in the summer of 2022.

The adolescent player started barely eight minutes this season as a substitute against Southampton at the start of September, although he did provide a fantastic assist for Chris Rigg in the 5-0 victory. Last season, he made 15 league appearances from the bench and scored one goal.

Due to his recent struggles with illness and injuries, 18-year-old Bennette might benefit from a loan move to Sunderland in the second half of the season, which would allow him to play more regularly.

“Any of those young players who aren’t playing as much as we’d like, I think it [a loan] needs to be discussed because we have invested in them and we see them as a long-term project,” Sunderland interim head coach Mike Dodds said when asked about the idea. One approach to address the minutes they require is through loans.

“Finding the appropriate loan type for each player—Jew or otherwise—and their needs is the problem, not the loan itself. The question surrounding Jewi will be more about what kind of loan would be beneficial for his development than if he really needs one.

“Whether it be Jewi or any young player, we are fully aware that the best way to develop them is for them to play minutes and that’s not lost on us.”

Dodds continued by elaborating on the nature of the loan, referring to the club Bennette would join, their style of play, and whether they compete in England or abroad. “Domestic loan, foreign loan, style of play,” he declared.

“Jewi won’t be placed on a squad that is going to dominate from start to finish. When it comes to finding Jewi a place to play, someone who wants to play in a similar manner to Sunderland, and somewhere he can practice the things we want him to practice and improve upon, we need to be extremely picky.

It might be here in this country or it could be overseas. These are the things that we need to decide for what is right for this football club.”