Opinion: Sunderland should be looking to part company with midfielder this summer

Alex Pritchard’s contract is coming to an end and the Black Cats should look to move in a different direction

Their 2022-23 season ended in disappointment at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night, but Sunderland’s first season back in the Championship after a four-year exile has to be considered a major success.

They had to deal with a surprise early season managerial change from Alex Neil to Tony Mowbray, and despite major injuries all over the pitch, including to talisman Ross Stewart, they finished in the top six of the second tier of English football – of course though they fell short against Luton Town over two legs and will remain in the Championship.

There’s set to be some tough decisions made over the summer though as the Black Cats look to move to the next level, and one of those could – or should – be the decision to part company with experienced attacking midfielder Alex Pritchard.

How has Alex Pritchard performed for Sunderland?

Pritchard was brought into the fold in the summer of 2021 by Lee Johnson when the Black Cats were in League One in a bid to add more of a cutting edge in the final third.

Having cost absolutely nothing following his release from Huddersfield Town, Pritchard kept himself fit to appear 47 times in all competitions in his debut season at the Stadium of Light, scoring four times and notching an impressive 13 assists, with two of those coming in the 2022 League One play-off final against Wycombe Wanderers.

Returning to the Championship for 2022-23, Pritchard hasn’t always been a starting figure under Tony Mowbray in the second half of the campaign, but he still appeared 43 times over the course of the season, once again scoring four times but this time racking up seven assists.

Sunderland’s recruitment strategy for the most part since Kyril Louis-Dreyfus came into the club as owner has been clear – the signing of young talents with the ability to improve and then potentially cash in on in the future for a significant profit are the priority.

Of course experience is needed and valued as well as leadership is needed in the dressing room and on the pitch, but Sunderland’s fit squad that went on a late season run to make the play-offs was for the most part under the age of 25.

Dreyfus’ business in the transfer market has been incredibly shrewd, and in Abdoullah Ba from Le Havre he could have unearthed another gem who has been acclimatizing to Championship football in the last year.

And despite being influential in the final three matches of the regular season with a goal and two assists, Pritchard at the age of 30 could potentially block the development of Ba and perhaps another number 10 that could arrive at the Wearsiders this summer.