Sunderland interim boss Mike Dodds issues transfer warning to West Ham, Arsenal and others | OneFootball

Sunderland's interim boss Mike Dodds insists that any clubs trying to buy their players this summer will have to pay a ‘premium’.

Sunderland set for busy summer transfer window

It’s been a very disappointing campaign for the Black Cats, who have failed to build on their impressive season last time out when they reached the play-offs before losing over two legs to Luton Town.

The decision by the hierarchy to sack Tony Mowbray and bring in Mick Beale backfired spectacularly, with Dodds named as interim boss after the ex-Rangers chief left earlier this year.

However, he has failed to inspire an upturn in results and performances, so fans are already counting down the days until the season is over.

Then, a huge summer awaits, and there will be an expectation that the club will fix a few glaring issues in the squad - notably by bringing in an experienced striker.

Yet, it’s not just going to be about incomings, as failure to win promotion will only increase speculation about who could be on the move.

, with keeper Anthony Patterson on the radar of Arsenal and Chelsea, and it’s claimed that Trai Hume is of interest to Napoli and Aston Villa, whilst Dan Ballard is seen as .

We know Sunderland’s strategy involves developing players and selling them on for a profit, but Dodds told the Northern Echo that the club are under no pressure to cash in during the summer, as he warned they will only accept big fees for their star men.

"I don’t like calling players assets but you look at all those players, they’re all under good, long-term contracts so the club has a huge amount of power if there was any anxiety around some players leaving.

"If anyone did want to come and take our successful players it’s going to have to be a premium. In terms of that, I think there are a lot of positives.

"At the moment, the middle of the table is nowhere near where we want to be. There’s been some things this season which haven’t gone as well as we want them to but we will all be reflecting in two weeks to ensure next season we have a much more positive season. I’m 99 per-cent sure that next season will be a really positive season for everyone associated with the football club."

Spotlight on Sunderland’s recruitment

Many fans will understand that it’s hard to stand in the way of players if Premier League clubs come calling, although the Black Cats must do all they can to ensure they only lose one or two of their better players this summer.

As Dodds says, the club should be in a position to demand substantial sums for the likes of Clarke and Patterson, and it’s then about reinvesting.

It’s quite clear that the approach last summer didn’t work, and the club needs to have learned lessons from that.

They must strike the right balance in terms of youth and experience, and the fans will rightly feel that the club should be in the mix for promotion in 12 months time.