Man City, Sunderland deal was one which will forever haunt Black Cats supporters: View | OneFootball

A look back at a transfer situation Sunderland will not want to repeat in 2024

Jack Rodwell’s £10 million move to Sunderland in the summer of 2014 was a promising addition to Gus Poyet’s side at the time.

The Black Cats had narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League in the campaign prior, finishing just five points clear of the bottom three in 14th.

Rodwell had struggled for game time at Manchester City, with Manuel Pellegrini not trusting him to play in the side as they fought Liverpool for the title, but he was still a very promising young player that had looked very bright at Everton.

The midfielder made 16 league appearances for Man City across two seasons, but there was no shame in finding game time limited in one of Europe’s top teams.

Taking the step down to the Wearside outfit was a smart next step in his career, even if £10 million was a steep price to pay for the Black Cats.

Poyet had steered the ship away from disaster in 2014, and there were reasons to be optimistic that this was an exciting time for the club.

Jack Rodwell didn't show immediate bad form for Sunderland

It wasn’t the greatest first season ever for Rodwell, with things unravelling for Poyet as manager in 2015, leading to his March dismissal.

For £10 million, fans might have expected more from the ex-Man City player, but he still did okay and there was no reason to write him off completely just yet.

He scored three goals from 23 appearances in the Premier League, as Sunderland finished 16th in the table (all stats from Fbref).

It wasn’t glamorous by any means, certainly compared to winning the title 12 months prior at the Etihad Stadium, but Rodwell had promise and just needed the right environment to succeed.

But the environment never came and as time passed that £10 million spent to sign became increasingly wasteful.

Nine league starts from 22 appearances in his second season saw him take a step backwards in his career, with the team drifting closer and closer to relegation with a 17th place finish.

Serious concerns were now starting to be raised over his ability and usefulness to the club, with no potential buyers coming forward to take him off their hands.

Jack Rodwell's time at Sunderland went from bad to worse

It was in his final two seasons at Sunderland that it became apparent just how much of a disaster his signing had proved to be.

Not only had he arrived for £10 million, but it was reported in 2018 that he was hanging on to a contract worth £70,000 per week, which he turned down the opportunity to be cancelled at the cost of the club during a time of financial turmoil.

When relegation to the Championship was finally confirmed in 2017, he had made 20 appearances in David Moyes’ side, but not even the manager who helped bring him through at Goodison Park could help his performances improve.

His hopeless Sunderland career finally came to a merciful end once relegation to League One was confirmed a year later.

But his last few months at the Stadium of Light left a very sour taste in supporters' mouths.

The midfielder had a falling out with manager Chris Coleman in his final months, as he continued to be left out of the side while also being a top earner in the second division.

The only conclusion many people could draw from his departure was to declare him the worst ever signing in the club’s history.

With some time to reflect in the years since his exit, it is still a fair assessment of a four-years of utter disaster for both club and player, and a journey that all parties will want to forget.