Sunderland’s dream return to the Premier League will propel them to the top of the table.
They spent £155m in the summer, bringing in 14 new signings, and their new team has really taken off.
Sky Sports News’ North East correspondent Keith Downie discovers the secret to early season success…
What is the club’s recruitment and scouting structure?
Sunderland have a fairly unique set-up. Chrisjan Speakman is the club’s sporting director, but Frenchman Florian Ghisolfi was appointed this summer.
The 40-year-old has been given the title of ‘Director of Football’ and the pair are working in tandem to not only support Sunderland’s return to the Premier League, but to keep them there.
Speakman has put in a lot of effort since joining the club, leading them from League One oblivion to the promised land of the Premier League.
He played a major role in completely rebuilding the club’s football structure and preparing the foundations for a positive return to the top flight.
Like other clubs, Sunderland have regional, national and international scouting structures, but they also rely heavily on data and analysis.
In addition, owner Cyril Louis-Dreyfus and manager Regis Le Bris also played a major role in the team’s serious effort this summer. The club strongly believes in “what is right, not who is right”.
They signed 14 players this summer to deal with the Premier League. That is not something that one person can do.
Who drove the transfer strategy in the summer?
Some of the early signatures had been targeted for months, but this was not a reactive measure.
Speakman and his team had put together a two-pronged plan last season: staying in the Championship or gaining promotion.
Director of Football Florent Ghisolfi (left) and Sporting Director Chris Jahn Speakman (right) alongside summer signing Brian Bobby (centre)
After their win at Wembley it was clear they needed to invest in their first team to compete this season, but even I was surprised that they took it to the level they did. Approximately £155 million was spent, excluding add-ons.
The first player, Enzo Le Fe, was signed on a permanent basis at the final whistle at Wembley, as per the terms of his loan agreement from Roma. So, before they had even had time to say ‘I’m back’, they broke a transfer record by signing the French midfielder for £17m, whose influence, according to sources, was key to their promotion.
Later, Ghisolfi also arrived from Roma and was instrumental in securing a number of players’ contracts. He officially started work at the beginning of July, but until then he had been working behind the scenes.
The first signings (Khabib Diarra, £27m from Strasbourg, Noah Sadiqui, £14m from Union Saint Giroise) were identified before Ghisolfi’s arrival, but the executives’ experience and standing in the game helped bring in players such as Granit Xhaka, Omar Alderete and Nordi Mukiele.
But even someone like Brian Brobbey, who arrived on deadline day, had been in talks with the club for weeks beforehand. He initially decided to stay at Ajax until the Sunderland model took shape and he recognized the talent in the players coming to Wearside.
Sunderland’s mindset was experience and physicality. Sunderland have added top-notch experience with the arrival of Xhaka, a leader on the pitch. He inspired many others to follow.
In August, I was present when the 141-time Swiss captain arrived on his owner’s luxury private jet. Seeing Xhaka land on Wearside made it much easier to attract other big name signings to the North East in the weeks that followed.
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What is Ghisolfi’s background and what makes him great?
Ghisolfi first came to prominence as technical director of RC Lens, helping them gain promotion to Ligue 1 and then remain there. This resulted in a transfer to OGC Nice, followed by a move to Serie A side Roma.
He has a reputation for recruiting, and his connections with European clubs and networks led to him being approached by Sunderland.
Ghisolfi gained fame throughout Europe for his work with AS Roma and RC Lenses.
Sunderland’s 14-man signing was largely a success, but is unusual in the competitive Premier League, where new signings often take time to settle in.
But the Frenchman’s workaholic style fits perfectly with the lifestyle and values at the heart of Sunderland.
I spent some time with him last week, where he revealed that he has basically been living between the training ground and the stadium since arriving during the summer.
He lives and breathes football, which suits the ethos of a club that is returning to greatness after an eight-year hiatus.
How could they spend so much money?
Their promotion from the highly competitive Championship was all the more impressive as Sunderland had been saving money for some time.
The likes of Ross Stewart and Jack Clarke were sold for a total of £30m in recent windows, without the club spending big on reinforcements. The model was to bring in young players, strengthen them and sell them at a profit. It worked.
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Speaking in the summer, Jobe Bellingham defended his decision to join Borussia Dortmund, insisting he did it for himself and not to follow in his brother’s footsteps.
But what they achieved last year, while far from having one of the heftiest wage bills in the Championship, was astonishing. Even last summer, when they were promoted, they sold Jobe Bellingham and Tom Watson to Borussia Dortmund and Brighton for a combined £40m. The total transfer fee for these four players is £70 million, roughly half of what they spent this summer.
Sunderland fans were disappointed when Bellingham left for Dortmund after the play-off win, but Bellingham was replaced by three quality players in Xhaka, Diarra and Sadokki.
Xhaka is nearing the end of his career but has yet to move up from £13m to £17m, and for me Diarra and Sadiki have the ability to reach higher levels in the coming years. Both excelled early in their Premier League careers. In other words, Sunderland bought well and sold well. And that’s important in the world of PSR.
Who convinced Xhaka to join?
Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka celebrates his team’s win at Chelsea
Described as a “game changer” by club officials, everyone at senior level was involved. This was an ambitious endeavor, but it appears to be paying great dividends.
The transfer would not have happened without Dreyfus, who persuaded his compatriot to make the move. He rolled out the red carpet in a luxury private jet and flew to pick him up en route to Sunderland.
But in reality, Xhaka had unfinished business in the Premier League. The two-time FA Cup winner with Arsenal wanted to get one last try at a crucial time, but turned down a more lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia and moved to Wearside instead.
Dreyfus did everything in his power to sign his player, but when Bayer Leverkusen, where Xhaka won the Bundesliga just 12 months earlier, gave the go-ahead for a move, many at the club had a “pinch-me moment”.
I accompanied Sunderland to their pre-season camp in Portugal and it was clear they needed a leader. Xhaka took up the mantle and led from the front. Players told me they were afraid to make a wrong pass during practice for fear of letting Granit down.
Have Sunderland’s ambitions changed after their strong start?
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Free to watch: Highlights of the Premier League match between Chelsea and Sunderland
Le Blis has always stated that his goal this season is to survive with 40 points, but if they win against Everton on Monday Night Football, they will reach half of that goal in just 10 games.
It would have been more than any Sunderland fan could have dreamed of. In public, they will say their goal is to stay awake, but privately, it would be remiss of them not to think beyond that.
They quickly developed a team ethic based on strong bonds and were successful in recruiting. I feel very much that each of the new players has played their part so far and they have all bought into the ethos of the club. The club should be praised for the way they have achieved this so quickly.
There’s a lot of football to be played and of course anything can happen, but having watched Sunderland so many times at the Stadium of Light since they started unbeaten at home, I don’t think there will be too many teams going there and winning this season.
What are Sunderland’s plans for January?
They plan to be back in action in January and are in a strong position to do so, but will only add players if they feel they can add them to the group. Sunderland are smart about their selection and will only add players if they feel they are the right players.
They are probably a little light on the wing, so I think they might feel that adding that will give them more attacking options.
It will be difficult to survive December and January’s AFCON with up to seven players temporarily leaving the club to represent their country.
This could have a knock-on effect on the January window, necessitating short-term corrections to assess the possibilities.
But one thing is for sure, after an enjoyable summer that saw a slew of players arrive, Sunderland fans are looking forward to what the January transfer window brings as much as the next game!
