Five cut-price targets Sunderland could pursue this summer | OneFootball

Regis Le Bris’ side plan to strengthen this summer as they prepare for Europa League football, with the transfer window opening next week.

A 2-1 home win over Chelsea secured seventh and a spot alongside Juventus and AC Milan. With at least eight extra league-phase games, depth is vital. Sunderland Echo highlights five cut-price possibilities as several players near the final year of their deals.

Curtis Jones, Liverpool, is an ambitious but logical option. Despite 49 outings last season, just over half were starts, and the six-cap England midfielder enters his final contract year.

Middlesbrough captain Hayden Hackney has drawn firm Premier League interest, with Nottingham Forest moving late in January and Everton, Manchester United and Newcastle also linked. The dynamic Redcar-born midfielder looks ready to step up, though competition would be fierce.

Lazio centre-back Mario Gila, tentatively linked to England, joined from Real Madrid in summer 2022 and has 120 appearances, featuring in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. That experience could prove useful in Europe.

If Robin Roefs attracts a mammoth offer after a stellar first season, Freiburg’s Noah Atabolu could be a smart contingency. The Germany Under-21 goalkeeper has 22 caps and more than 120 senior games.

Real Madrid’s Thiago Pitarch has been tracked and relations between the clubs are considered positive. The Spain youth international made 16 senior appearances this season, including against Manchester City and Bayern Munich, and enters his final year amid talk of an extension but no announcement. Any impact from the expected arrival of Jose Mourinho remains to be seen.

Source: Sunderland Echo