Sunderland not expected to take up Niall Huggins option ahead of summer exit | OneFootball

Niall Huggins is set to leave Sunderland this summer, with the club not expected to activate the option on his contract. That would see the full-back depart when his current deal expires.

Sunderland Echo understands that the Black Cats are not currently expected to trigger the one-year extension attached to the agreement Huggins signed in October 2024, which runs to summer 2026.

The 25-year-old joined from Leeds United in 2021 and helped win promotion from League One under Alex Neil. He featured in the Championship, although injuries checked his progress on Wearside.

This season he made one senior outing under Régis Le Bris, playing 45 minutes in the EFL Cup against Huddersfield Town. He later moved to Wycombe Wanderers on loan, featuring semi-regularly in League One.

Across 2025-26 with Wycombe he has made 24 appearances in all competitions, scoring once and providing two assists. That includes 19 in League One, three in the EFL Trophy and two in the EFL Cup.

His expected exit comes as Sunderland prepare to publish their retained list within the next week or so. Summer planning is already influenced by a return to the Premier League and historic qualification for the Europa League ahead of 2026-27.

A Wales international, Huggins has shown pace, versatility and technical quality across both full-back roles. His standout spell came in 2023-24 when he scored his first professional goal in a 2-0 win over Watford at the Stadium of Light.

Source: Sunderland Echo