Sunderland must settle for no less than £8m as Aston Villa and Leeds circle: View | OneFootball

Sunderland AFC could face a very tricky summer as they search for a new manager and speculation mounts over certain individuals.

It has been an underwhelming campaign for the Black Cats, as aims for a promotion push soon turned sour after managerial decisions took hold.

The Wearsiders only have a handful of games remaining before the season finishes, and with not much riding on them, focus will start to turn on plans for the summer.

Obviously, no major decisions will be made yet, as the club is yet to appoint a full-time manager, but whoever is going to get the job could face a tricky time, as players like Jack Clarke and now Trai Hume are being linked with moves away.

Sunderland look like they have come to terms with Clarke leaving, but they will be doing what they can to retain Hume, and that seems to be the case with the latest news appearing regarding his transfer value.

Sunderland value Trai Hume at £8 million

It was reported at the beginning of this month by the Belfast Telegraph that Leeds United and Leicester City are among the sides interested in Trai Hume.

As well as these two sides, the report also mentions that Aston Villa, AFC Bournemouth, and Napoli are admirers of the defender.

The 22-year-old joined Sunderland in January 2022 from Linfield, and it soon became apparent how talented he was.

Therefore, the Black Cats acted last summer, giving the defender a new contract that now runs until the summer of 2027, with an option to extend by another year.

So, the Championship side have plenty of time on their side, and even with these sides interested, Sunderland are believed to be holding strong, as it’s been reported that they rate the player at £8 million.

The Black Cats signed the defender for around £150,000, and they should now be keen to stand firm when it comes to their valuation.

It seems, as well as Jack Clarke, Sunderland’s Trai Hume could be someone the club struggles to keep hold of this summer.

The 22-year-old joined the Black Cats in 2022, and at the time he would have been relatively unknown, given he had just been playing in Northern Ireland for all of his career.

But now, two years later, Hume has become an important figure in Sunderland’s team, and his impressive performances have gained admirers from around the football world.

While the Wearsiders will be worried to hear teams like Napoli, Aston Villa, and Leeds are looking at the player, it should also be seen as a sign of credit to the club and defender, given how well they have done in the last two seasons.

The Northern Irishman’s first full season at the club was a good bench maker for the player because, while he wasn’t a regular all of the time, he showed enough to warrant why he is a firm regular this season.

In the 2022/23 season, Hume started 23 of the 28 league games he played, during which time he managed one goal and two assists.

Playing as a full-back, the 22-year-old was able to impose himself in the final third as well as in the defensive areas. Hume averaged an impressive 0.8 shots per game, with 0.3 on target, and he could have added more goals to his name given he missed three big chances, as per Sofascore.com.

Furthermore, Hume has really impressed with his attacking game, as he created two big chances last season and, along the way, collected 0.4 key passes.

Meanwhile, in defence, he averaged 1.3 interceptions per game and an impressive 2.4 tackles, all of which helped Sunderland pick up seven clean sheets while he was on the pitch, as per Sofascore.com.

Hume’s move to the Stadium of Light has really progressed his career in the right direction, as he is now an international defender, and it could be said he has been one of the best-performing full-backs for the last season or two.

So, given his ability and age, Sunderland must stand firm on their £8 million valuation, as they need to set a marker that they are not just going to roll over and sell their best players. Given the market, this figure seems like a fair price for a player who is playing on the international stage and could easily become an even better player, playing at the highest level possible.