Nazariy Rusyn is making Sunderland summer decision an easy one
Sunderland look set for another busy summer transfer window ahead.
With Premier League survival almost confirmed, Sunderland can be extremely happy with how their debut season back amongst English football’s elite has went.
Regis Le Bris‘ side have competed with the very best teams in the division this term, and although their form has dipped in recent weeks, the Black Cats still have a very good chance of recording a top half finish.
With that will come even more riches into Sunderland’s coffers, with a busy summer of spending forecasted as club chiefs look to ensure they build upon a very solid season in 2026-27 and beyond.
This will not only mean a host of new arrivals, but also a number of fringe players being moved on from to make room for further upgrades.
How has Nazariy Rusyn been doing with Arka Gdynia?
One such player who faces a very uncertain future at the Stadium of Light beyond this summer is striker Nazariy Rusyn.
The 27-year-old was signed by Sunderland in the summer of 2023, in a deal with Ukrainian side Zorya worth in the region of £2.5million.
Rusyn penned a four-year contract with the Black Cats at the time of his arrival, with the club also having the option of a 12-month extension, but coming up to three years since then this summer, and his move to Wearside hasn’t worked out.
After spending the first 18 months as a Sunderland player struggling to adapt to English football in the Championship, he was sent out on loan to Croatian giants Hajduk Split for the second half of last season.
Zero goals in 17 appearances there saw him return to Wearside last summer, before heading out on loan again, this time to Polish outfit Arka Gdynia for the duration of the current 2025-26 campaign.
He has fared slightly better there, with three goals in 16 total appearances, but it’s far from the kind of impact that will have heads turning back in Sunderland ahead of his return to the club once again at the end of this season.
And so, with the 2026-27 season being his final campaign under contract with Sunderland, unless he can drastically improve his form between now and late May, then he’s sure to be heading for a permanent exit this summer.
Rusyn’s only chance of Sunderland redemption was relegation
Had Sunderland have been relegated from the Premier League this season, then a major overhaul of the squad would’ve been required ahead of life back in the Championship.
In that case, Rusyn could’ve had somewhat of a chance to work his way back into the Sunderland first-team fold, with the likes of Brian Brobbey sure to have left in that scenario.
However, with Sunderland 11 points clear of the relegation zone with as many games left to play, that’s almost certainly not going to be the case.
As such, Rusyn certainly hasn’t/isn’t doing enough to catch the attention of Le Bris, nor prove that he’s ready to take on the Premier League, and so he must be on his way out for good this summer.
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