"I'd sell him" - Sunderland AFC urged to offload rarely-seen Black Cats star on one condition | OneFootball

Sunderland do not currently know what league they will be in next season - and that is impacting their transfer plans

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Nectar Triantis’ chances of playing first-team football for Sunderland next season has been described as “50-50”.

The Australian youth international will have spent the best part of 18 months away from the Black Cats by the end of this season, with Triantis currently on loan at Scottish top-flight outfit Hibernian.

Having made only five senior appearances for Sunderland since arriving in the summer of 2023, the 21-year-old's hopes of a role in Regis Le Bris’ squad next year have been claimed to rely upon the Black Cats’ league status.

Nectar Triantis’ Sunderland hopes hinge on Black Cats’ promotion bid

Signed from A-League club Central Coast Mariners for an initial £300,000 in June 2023, Triantis arrived as a defender.

After failing to break into the first team at Sunderland during the first half of the 2023/24 season, it was decided for Triantis to move on loan to Hibernian.

Again, after limited opportunities at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, the Aussie moved back on loan to Hibs.

Whilst at Easter Road Triantis has been converted into a midfielder, going on to score three goals and assist a further five in 26 league appearances so far this term.

Triantis’ performances north of the border have earned the midfielder a maiden call up to the senior Australia international set-up for matches against Indonesia and China.

But Football League World’s resident Sunderland pundit Jordan Newcombe believes that Triantis will only get the opportunity at the Stadium of Light if the Black Cats miss out on promotion this term.

When asked if Sunderland should let the Australian go this summer if Hibernian came in with a permanent offer, Jordan told FLW: “Triantis is one of those players where it's a 50-50.

“We can either keep him or we can sell him.

“If we go up to the Premier League I'd say he hasn't got a chance here.

“He should go to Hibs on a permanent (If Sunderland go up), because he's doing well there, he knows he knows he fits, he knows what he's doing.

“He's obviously got moved into the midfield, instead of the defensive role where he usually plays for Sunderland.

“If we stay in the Championship, that's a player that we might need if Jobe (Bellingham) or (Chris) Rigg to line up with Dan Neil in midfield.

“In the defensive roles that would be a good partnership, especially with how Triantis has been.

“And if he can stay as a holding midfield at Sunderland next season, and if we don’t gain promotion then 100% I’d keep him.”

Promotion for Sunderland would likely lead to Nectar Triantis departure

Jordan went on to explain how he felt that in the event of Sunderland earning promotion, the Black Cats should look to sell Triantis in order to invest in more experienced options.

With the Australian an unknown quantity both to Sunderland and the Premier League, FLW’s fan pundit believes players with top-flight experience would be worth more to the side than Triantis.

He explained: “If we somehow absolutely annihilate the play-offs and go up, then I'd sell him, get a quick bit of money in and obviously go and buy better players who are more Premier League suited and more able to play in the Prem.

“One’s with more experience, that know the ins and outs of the Premier League.

“That'll be better for a club like us where we might struggle from the first season onwards, but if we managed to go up and still manage to survive in the bottom half to begin with and that's even better and more perfect for us in the long term.