Kristjaan Speakman shares Sunderland plans for January transfer window

Kristjaan Speakman has provided an early insight into what Sunderland intend to do once the January transfer window opens for business.

Sunderland were busy in the summer in terms of both incoming and outgoing activity, building a squad that looks capable of a top-six challenge.

Sporting director Speakman has little time to rest up, however, as clubs can do more business in a little under four months' time.

Speakman, as quoted by the Sunderland Echo [9 September], said: "We'll turn our attention to January; we'll track the progress of our players and we'll track the progress of the players we like out there in the market.

"Then when we get to January, we will make the same set of decisions against the same requirements, which is that we want to keep improving the team

"We've invested in every single window. We will continue to keep looking to invest. I don’t think there’s a need to spend money just because there’s a perception that you have money.

"We can improve through succession planning, and we can also improve the team through external recruitment. We don’t know where we’ll be in January."

Sunderland cannot sit still when transfer window reopens

Regis Le Bris' men have made a much faster start to the Championship campaign than anyone could have ever imagined.

Four games played, four games won, 10 goals scored and only one conceded - no team can boast a better record in the division in any category.

A lot can happen in football in the space of a few days, never mind a few months, so it remains to be seen where Sunderland will be come January.

The hope is that Le Bris' side are still in the play-off mix, even if not at the very top of the pile, so that the club have more leverage when it comes to signing some bigger names.

That said, the Black Cats have showed already what is possible even without 'names', as such, so a balance will need to be found.

Sunderland will only get stronger in the second half of the season in terms of the squad, so let's just hope Speakman has some options already lined up.

In other Sunderland news, a young player has suffered serious knee injury.

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