Florent Ghisolfi and Sunderland set for Niall Huggins exit as option unlikely to be used | OneFootball

Niall Huggins is set to leave Sunderland this summer.

Sunderland Echo understands that the club are not expected to trigger the option to extend the full-back’s deal by a further year. Huggins signed fresh terms in October 2024 running to the summer of 2026, with that clause giving Sunderland the right to add one more year.

The 25-year-old arrived from Leeds United in 2021 and featured in the squad that won promotion from League One under Alex Neil, then played in the Championship before injuries disrupted his progress.

This season he made one senior appearance under Régis Le Bris, playing 45 minutes in the EFL Cup against Huddersfield Town, before joining Wycombe Wanderers on loan.

Across the 2025-26 campaign he has made 24 appearances for Wycombe in all competitions, scoring once and supplying two assists, including 19 in League One, three in the EFL Trophy and two in the EFL Cup.

His likely exit comes as Sunderland prepare to publish their retained list within the next week or so, with summer planning framed by a return to the Premier League and historic Europa League qualification.

The Wales international offers pace, versatility and technical quality across both full-back roles. His best Sunderland spell arguably came in 2023-24, when he scored his first professional goal in a 2-0 win over Watford at the Stadium of Light. Injuries have limited his impact, so Sunderland are expected to let him move on rather than extend his stay.

Source: Sunderland Echo