As most clubs prepare for the new season by utilising the transfer market, Sunderland AFC are caught in a state of limbo with no head-coach/manager to support any sales or signatures.
For the Black Cats, this is a real concern and every day that passes gives them less preparation time.
The club has been linked to a number of names, but every time a target emerges, they seem to move on and take a position at another club.
Currently, Lorient manager Regis Le Bris seems to be leading the race, and whilst a deal seems to be getting closer, as per Keith Downie of Sky Sports, it has taken far too long to get to this point, and it may have unsettled some of the players in the Sunderland squad.
For those who are the subject of interest from elsewhere, it will surely make Sunderland’s bargaining position weaker, with no clear understanding of their future at the club.
Fresh interst emerges in Sunderland pair Trai Hume and Jack Clarke interest
Two players who could be affected by this head-coach conundrum are Jack Clarke and Trai Hume. With both being standout performers last season, Premier League interest has become apparent and, with no assurances, both players may be searching for a move away.
Aston Villa and AFC Bournemouth are the sides weighing up a move for Hume this summer, according to Football Insider.
Having signed the 22-year-old for a minimal fee of £150,000 from Linfield in his home nation of Northern Ireland, it is believed The Black Cats will be holding out for a fee in the region of £8 million.
For Clarke, it is very much a similar story, with several clubs holding previous interest in the winger. However, it is West Ham and Brentford who are currently leading the race, with Sunderland believing it to be difficult to stop the former Tottenham man from moving on this summer.
