In these unprecedented times, no one knows what is happening with football. It’s on an enforced hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and there’s no real sign of when this will be lifted. There’ll be a logistical backlog of games to get through. Aside from that, there is also the need to consider player contract situations – the projected end date for the season being past the traditional 30 June cut-off point for contracts.
Fallen giants Sunderland, who suffered successive relegations from the Premier League and the Sky Bet championship to land in League One are pushing for a return this season and sit just outside the playoff places on 59 points, trailing the last spot, held by Peterborough, due only to an inferior goal difference. The current lockdown of sport due to the COVID-19 pandemic means that the contract situation at all cubs is somewhat up in the air. Here are five Black Cats players who are out of contract come the end of June.
Duncan Whatmore (right-winger): The highly-rated Whatmore is a player who the Black Cats snapped up from non-league Altrincham at the opening of the July 2013 transfer window, loaning him out to Scottish side Hibernian six months later. Since arriving at the Wearsiders, Manchester-born Whatmore has made 87 appearances, scoring eight goals and laying on 11 assists. 17 of those appearances (one goal/three assists) have come this season as Sunderland look to chase down a promotion.
Joel Lynch (centre-back): 32-year-old central defender Lynch arrived at The Stadium of Light from Queens Park Rangers late last August on a free transfer. The former Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield centre-back arrived with 308 Sky Bet Championship appearances under his belt. Since arriving at the club, Lynch has gone on to make 22 appearances for Sunderland – 16 of these coming in this season’s League One campaign.
Kyle Lafferty (centre-forward): 75-cap Northern Ireland international Lafferty joined Sunderland in early January this year from Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08. Since arriving at the club, the much-travelled striker has featured in 11 League One games, scoring twice and adding one assist to gain a 17% share of Sunderland’s goal participation.
Jon McLaughlin (goalkeeper): McLaughlin has been on Wearside with Sunderland since signing from Scottish side Heart of Midlothian at the opening of the summer 2018 transfer window, arriving at the Stadium of Light on a free deal after just one season in Scotland. The former Bradford City and Burton stopper has made a total of 90 appearances for the Black Cats (87 conceded/27 clean sheets) and has been a big influence at the club this season. He’s made 32 league appearances this campaign (27 conceded/11 clean sheets) and fans are thought to be clamouring for him to have an extended deal offered.
Chris Maguire (right-winger): 31-year-old former Scotland international Maguire arrived at Sunderland on the opening day of the summer 2018 transfer window for an undisclosed fee from now-defunct Bury. Since arriving at the Stadium of Light, Maguire has featured 84 times for Sunderland, scoring 20 goals and assisting another 20. This season’s campaign in League One has shown the threat he is with the much-travelled winger featuring 35 times. He’s scored 10 goals and provided 12 assists which give him a 45% share in Sunderland’s goal participation.
