Sunderland AFC face big decisions with the 4 players set to leave the SoL next year | OneFootball

The Black Cats don't have many players set to leave Wearside in the summer of 2025

The vision of success for Sunderland AFC stretches much further than just this season, and that is reflected by the number of players that they are set to lose at the end of the season.

Being proactive with contracts is a huge thing for clubs nowadays. More and more players are starting to try and use the leverage that they have to try and manufacture an ideal scenario for them, and if the clubs let their advantages slip then they sometimes have to bend to the players' wills.

As a general rule, Sunderland are very proactive - probably one of the most proactive clubs in the Championship - when it comes to sorting out new deals for the players that they want to keep. Jack Clarke was in negotiations with the Black Cats about fresh terms more than two years before his current set expired before his move to Ipswich Town.

Similar can be said for Dan Neil and Chris Rigg who, unlike Clarke, extended their stays at the Stadium of Light with plenty of time to go.

The plan for Sunderland very much has the future in mind, which is why they get these deals sorted as soon as they can.

This leaves them, in the case of next summer, with not many contract decisions to make on soon-to-be free agents, although they will have some thinking to do when 2025 rolls around.

These are all the players that are set to leave Sunderland next summer when the end of the 2024-25 season rolls around.

Aaron Connolly

Aaron Connolly is both the most recently acquired player and the only permanent member of the Sunderland squad on this four-man list.

The former Hull City forward joined the Black Cats to help reinforce their attacking options. He signed with the Wearsiders after the transfer window had closed and, due to his lack of pre-season, it will take him a bit of time to get fully up to speed.

The 24-year-old has proven in the past to be a valuable commodity for teams around this level - reproducing that form would give Sunderland a bit to think about come next summer at the end of his short-term contract.

Wilson Isidor

Connolly's fellow forward, Wilson Isidor, is, like the Irishman, set to spend just one season with Sunderland.

However, if they win promotion, as they are on course to do, they will be obligated to buy him from his parent club, Zenit St Petersburg, for an already agreed fee, according to the Sunderland Echo.

If they don't go up, then it will be up to the Black Cats to decide whether to retain the Frenchman past the end of this season.

It's another thing for them to worry about, especially with the way he has taken to life in the north east, and if he continues in his current form, there's going to be a real clamour to keep the mercurial attacker on a long-term basis.

Chris Mepham

Regis Le Bris' influence on the club has been massive.

Changing things on the pitch has also coincided with a switch in mentality off the pitch. Sunderland's previous model of only recruiting young players isn't relied upon as much now, as was proven by their most recent window, which included getting the experienced Chris Mepham on loan from AFC Bournemouth.

Wales international Mepham has played well since joining and helped to fill the void left by Dan Ballard and Aji Alese, who are both injured.

They don't have an obligation or option to buy him in the summer, so which league they are in may play a factor in whether they pursue Mepham after the end of his loan spell.

Salis Abdul Samed

Salis Abdul Samed was, alongside Mepham, one of four deadline day deals completed by Sunderland.

We have yet to see the Ghanaian international, who arrived on loan from French side RC Lens, play for the Black Cats due to injury, but he may find it hard to get into Le Bris' starting 11 at this moment in time anyway.

At some point though, Samed will be called upon, and he could add perhaps a more naturally-defensive side to the Sunderland 11 that is on the pitch, alongside the likes of Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham.