Exclusive: Lee Hendrie drops claim on Ian Poveda's Sunderland AFC future | OneFootball

Ian Carlo Poveda could depart the Stadium of Light this summer but Lee Hendrie has urged Sunderland to keep him for the time being.

Sunderland are set for a busy summer transfer window following their promotion to the Premier League, with the Black Cats set for a few departures already and another man with his future surely up in the air is winger Ian Poveda.

Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats came from a goal down to dramatically defeat Sheffield United by two goals to one at Wembley Stadium in the Championship play-off final, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner scored by Tommy Watson.

Watson is one of the players heading for the exit door at the Stadium of Light, though, with a move to Brighton and Hove Albion already agreed – and he may not be the only departure.

Other key players are also the subject of interest from elsewhere with Jobe Bellingham in talks with Eintracht Frankfurt and both Dan Neil and Chris Rigg having been linked with moves to Everton.

Former Manchester City attacker Ian Poveda has been on the fringes upon Wearside this season but EFL pundit Lee Hendrie has suggested he may well have to stay at the club at the moment.

Hendrie unsure on Poveda future

Poveda joined Sunderland last summer but could only make six appearances across the Championship campaign for Le Bris’ side, often not making the squad either.

When asked about whether or not he thinks Poveda will move on from Sunderland this summer, Hendrie exclusively explained to the Football League World about the dilemma for the player and the club.

Hendrie exclusively said to FLW: “Obviously, I think he will do, there is a high potential that you think they’d want to bolster that squad.

“They need players desperately after being promoted. The jump from the Championship to the Premier League is big and lots of players are being heavily linked away, the likes of Bellingham and Rigg, you start to think they need to keep all the players.

“The squad depth is low at the moment and it’s a tricky one. It’s whether they want to get rid and bring some other faces in that can provide for them.

“I personally think they need to keep players at the moment because of the squad depth going into the Premier League.”

Poveda’s journeyman career at age 25

Southwark-born Poveda, who represented England from U16 all the way through to U20 level but now has two caps for the Colombia national side, spent his youth career at Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Brentford and Manchester City.

He managed just one-first team appearance for City before a permanent move to Leeds United in 2020, which did not go overly well as he made just 36 appearances for the Whites in a four-year stint at Elland Road.

That four-year stint included him being loaned out to Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool and Sheffield Wednesday before eventually departing on a free transfer at the end of his contract last summer.

Poveda has already played for ten clubs, at both academy at senior level, as well as two national sides, at both youth and full international level, with another move seemingly on the cards once again this summer.