The October international break will have Sunderland optimistic for the rest of the season and beyond.
The Black Cats are not only top of the Championship table, but they have done so with attractive football and a massively exciting young core of talent, with their vision looking very similar to the quite successful strategy behind Brighton’s rise over recent years.
A 2-2 draw against Leeds United in the last game before the break had its fair share of luck attributed to it, given the nature of their late equaliser, but their position at the top of the standings has come from consistent, convincing performances in their opening nine games.
Régis Le Bris was appointed head coach after a protracted hiring process, and the Frenchman’s arrival currently looks like a real coup for the Black Cats.
But it is the make-up of their squad that might have supporters most optimistic about the future, and comparisons to Brighton looking quite apt.
Sunderland’s similarity to Brighton
Brighton’s rise from League Two to European football has culminated in the Premier League side earning a reputation for being one of the best operators in the transfer market.
Buying young players at a low cost and turning them into massive stars, earning them huge sales in the process, has become the template for smart recruitment.
The likes of Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Ben White and Alexis Mac Allister have all improved their reputations at Brighton before moving on for big sums, including a £115 million fee for the Ecuadorian midfielder in 2023, according to Sky Sports.
This has helped Brighton on and off the pitch, with the Seagulls competing in Europe last season for the first time in their history while also posting a record profit for a Premier League club at £122.8 million, according to the BBC.
Sunderland are hoping to follow in a similar path, and they appear to be succeeding so far this season.
Players like Jobe Bellingham, Chris Rigg and Eliezer Mayenda have all been crucial to their strong start to the campaign, and all of them are still under the age of 20.
This follows a summer where they lost a talented player like Jack Clarke, who had been pivotal to the side over the last couple of years.
Brighton’s top 5 player sales
Player Sale figure (£)
Moises Caicedo 115 million
Marc Cucullera 60 million
Ben White 50 million
Alexis Mac Allister 35 million
Yves Bissouma 35 million
Sunderland’s recruitment strategy is working
The BBC have reported that Clarke’s sale to Ipswich Town earned Sunderland a fee worth £15 million.
That is an impressive figure to earn at a Championship level, and the fact the team have not felt his absence too much is evidence that their recruitment strategy is working.
Clubs like Brighton are so successful in this area because they can sell a player like Caicedo or White or Mac Allister for a big fee, but then already have their replacement ready to go by smart forward planning.
Sunderland are sitting on a goldmine of talent, so will need to be working now to plan ahead for when big clubs like Manchester United or Real Madrid inevitably come in for Rigg or Bellingham, or even other top stars like Dan Ballard, 25, Romaine Mundle, 21 or Anthony Patterson, 24.
These are players that can power the team to promotion this year, and even go on to earn the club fees in excess of £15 or 20 million each, maybe even more if a place in the top flight is secured.
If Sunderland can continue to juggle their Premier League ambition with their smart work in the transfer market, then further comparisons to Brighton won’t be far away.
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