What each Premier League place is worth to Sunderland and their rivals | OneFootball

Sunderland’s surge in their return to the top flight has left them with a genuine chance of Europe next season, and the prize for every finishing place is becoming pivotal. Relegation has never looked likely.

According to Sunderland Echo, wins over arch-rivals Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur either side of the international break lifted Regis Le Bris’ side to 10th, two points off the top six and six behind Liverpool in the fifth and final Champions League spot. These figures reflect merit payments from UK and international rights only, excluding commercial and equal-share income.

Holding 10th would be worth about £29.1m in merit payments. That would effectively cover their summer outlay on Nordi Mukiele £12m, Robin Roefs £11.5m and Bertrand Traore £2.5m, with roughly £3.1m spare.

Six games remain, and improvement is possible. Climbing to seventh, currently Brentford, would take them past £37.1m, while a remarkable charge to fifth, Liverpool’s place, would bring £42.4m.

This weekend’s opponents, Aston Villa, sit fourth and are tracking £45m based on current standings, while Newcastle’s slide to 14th points to £18.6m. Sunderland have not finished in the Premier League’s top half since 2010/11 under Steve Bruce, when a side featuring Asamoah Gyan, Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck came 10th.

Source: Sunderland Echo