How are Sunderland coping with financial restrictions?

"It would be prudent to sell someone at a big profit," believes The Athletic's football finance writer Chris Weatherspoon, as Sunderland look to stay on the right side of PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) and SCR (Squad-Cost Ratio) in their second season since promotion to the top flight. Weatherspoon, who also supports the Black Cats, spoke about the club's financial position on BBC Radio Newcastle: "From our reporting at the end of the 2025-26 season, the club made about £168m from Premier League prize money alone and they are going to get about £10m from being in the Europa League. "The club has already said they aren't under any financial pressure. They aren't in the position other clubs have found themselves in where they have to sell a player to adhere to the rules. "However, they won't be able to spend the thick end of £200m again without selling some players. "When they sell a player like Eliezer Mayenda for good money, as they just have done, that enhances their spending ability. The timing of a sale doesn't really matter, it is the length of the contract that means something. "For example, if you sign a player for £25m on a five-year contract, that hits the club's books at £5m per year plus wages - so Sunderland spent about £200m but that didn't immediately go on their books. "They also came up to the Premier League with an incredibly cheap squad, so that's why they were in a position to go and do what they did. But, outside of the big six, very few clubs can consistently spend £200m a year so we shouldn't expect them to repeat that this summer. "It would be prudent to sell someone at a big profit and I would be very surprised if they didn't have to field at least one big bid for a player this summer. "We also don't know what Sunderland's wage bill was for the season just gone - and that is a big variable. It will be substantially higher than what it was in the Championship, but if we don't know by how much then it makes it difficult to predict what they can spend this summer." Hit play above to hear the full conversation or listen on BBC Sounds here