“Whether you’re Man United, Chelsea” - Sunderland AFC chief names Jack Clarke and Ross Stewart in financial claim | OneFootball

The Black Cats' business model has been further explained, with the club having a number of top young talents on their books

Sunderland AFC chief David Bruce has backed the club's transfer strategy of cashing in on some of their best players - including Jack Clarke and Ross Stewart - in order to be financially sustainable.

The Black Cats' investment in young players mainly hasn't gone down well with everyone over the years, with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus' ownership placing a strong emphasis on investing and developing teenagers and players in their early 20's.

It hasn't always fully worked out for Sunderland in the last few years, with 2023-24 especially being turbulent, but it has seemingly all come together under Regis Le Bris this season.

Jack Clarke & Ross Stewart name-dropped in talk of Sunderland's transfer strategy

The likes of Jobe Bellingham, Chris Rigg, Romaine Mundle, Trai Hume, Tommy Watson and many others were either invested in or brought through the academy at Sunderland, and they are all significant parts of Le Bris' plans.

Just those five players specifically could fetch the best part of £100 million and maybe more if the Black Cats were to not get promoted and they cash in, although the likelihood of them all departing the Stadium of Light is incredibly slim.

It's testemant to the ongoing transfer policy though, which has seen the purchases of Jack Clarke and Ross Stewart from Tottenham (£750,000) and Ross County (£300,000) respectively turn into mega-money, with Scotland international Stewart being sold in 2023 to then-Championship rivals Southampton for £8 million, whilst the Wearsiders bagged an initial £15 million for Clarke from Ipswich Town.

That kind of wheeling and dealing is likely to continue as long as Sunderland are a Championship club, according to chief business officer Bruce.

“Sustainability isn’t just about the environment, it’s financial as well and we’ve gone on the record as saying we want to be run sustainably,” Bruce told iNews.

“It’s really hard to do that in the modern game but we’re trying to do that, we’re trying to drive revenues but we know we’ve got a long way to go.

“Even in the Championship – taking the Premier League aside because it’s well documented what happens to your revenue when you go into the Premier League – we’ve got a long way to go.

“We’re trying to be smart with our costs, like every club has to be, and we’ve got a trading model in place.

“When you think about our players, look at Jack Clarke and Ross Stewart, they’re transfers that show you bring people in for a price, sell them on but Jack left and we’ve got a ready-made replacement in Romaine Mundle and Tommy Watson. You’ve got the next generation as a fan, the next generation to be excited about.

“That’s a model football has to adopt. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Manchester United, Chelsea or you’re Sunderland in the Championship.

“Overall the numbers are going in the right direction and when we look around at our peers in the Championship we’re reasonably sustainable as it relates to the economics that underpin how we run the football club.

“We want to continue along that path for as long as we can.”

Sunderland AFC's prized assets may be there for the taking if promotion is not achieved

Having finished 16th in the Championship last season, with turbulence throughout the campaign with several manager changes, no-one quite knew what to expect of a Sunderland side that was likely to improve year on year, given it's such a young squad.

A promotion challenge however was perhaps not on some people's radars, but the Black Cats are well in the mix for automatic promotion still, although the play-offs are probably a more realistic shout.

Should promotion not be won, it makes Sunderland very vulnerable to the vultures in the summer transfer window, as they have a number of players who already look like they're Premier League operators in waiting.

Tommy Watson is one name for example who was close to moving to Brighton in January, with the Seagulls bidding a total package of £13 million for the teenage winger - and it wouldn't be a shock if that interest is renewed come June.

Bellingham, Rigg, Hume, Mundle, Wilson Isidor, Dan Ballard, Anthony Patterson - the list of Sunderland's potential top flight talent is seemingly endless, and that is the fear fans will have ahead of the summer should they still be in the Championship.

It will be a case of which ones push for moves and which ones don't, you'd have to say, but one things for sure - Sunderland won't be selling anyone on the cheap.