Alex Neil makes Sunderland transfer admission

New Sunderland manager Alex Neil has refused to rule out looking into the free agent market to sign new players.

Neil took charge of Sunderland for the first time on Saturday, and saw his new side play out a 1-1 draw away at AFC Wimbledon.

Although that draw did end a run of three straight defeats, the Black Cats have now won just one of their last eight games, a run that leaves them fourth in the table, four points adrift of automatic promotion.

Now it seems as though that means that Neil is considering the prospect of dipping into the free agent market, in order to strengthen his squad outside of the transfer window.

Asked after that draw with Wimbledon about whether a move into the free agent market is a possibility, the new Sunderland boss told The Chronicle: “I wouldn’t rule anything out, but what I don’t want to do is add to the group with players who have the same issues we have already got by bringing in players who just haven’t played.

“It’s really difficult in the free market, because you dip into it and bring them in but then it will take me a month or so to bring them up to speed and then we’ve got three games or something left.

“It’s a difficult situation at the moment. That’s not an excuse, it’s my honest opinion based on what I’ve seen since I came in.”

That admission comes less than two weeks after the end of a relatively busy January transfer window for Sunderland, in which six new players were added to the club’s first-team squad.

The Black Cats are next in action on Saturday afternoon, when they host third-place MK Dons at the Stadium of Light in a potentially key match in the promotion race.

The Verdict

It does seem a dip into the free agent market could at least be worth considering for Sunderland.

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