Sunderland have been a team who have promoted youth heavily in recent years, with the likes of Anthony Patterson, Jack Clarke and Trai Hume all proving themselves at a young age.
However, the loan market is a useful tool for the Black Cats, who can utilise it to develop some of their players who aren’t ready for first-team action.
So, at Football League World, we have identified four players who should leave the Stadium of Light on loan before the August 30th deadline later this summer.
Joe Anderson
Joe Anderson spent last season on loan at a struggling Shrewsbury Town side and failed to make a real impression, featuring just 24 times in League One.
His contract at Sunderland runs for a further two years, but based on his performances, he doesn’t seem ready for a first-team opportunity yet. Therefore, it would make sense for Anderson to go and attempt to prove himself to the Black Cats hierarchy by searching for a loan move where he can secure regular game time.
Based on last season’s exploits, a League Two move would make sense and, being a former Everton youngster, a move to somewhere like Accrington Stanley or Tranmere Rovers would make sense.
At 23 years of age, Anderson remains a promising talent as a natural ball-playing centre-back. While some might argue that a permanent move away seems likely, he still has ample time to develop into the player he has shown flashes of becoming.
Jewsion Bennette
Another player whose time hasn’t gone to plan at Sunderland so far is Jewison Bennette. The 20-year-old has been at the Stadium of Light since August 2022, when he joined the club from Herediano, a football team in his native country of Costa Rica.
Having featured just 20 times since signing, January saw him get a loan move to Greek side Aris Saloniki, but it didn’t work out as he made just two appearances.
Experience is going to be crucial for Bennette if he is to star in the future for Sunderland, so he should be requesting a loan move to a club closer to home, so his parent side can keep an eye on him.
If the Black Cats can find a club that will give the winger suitable game time, then it would be the right move for all parties. League Two or One seems the right level currently for Bennette, and a full season could see him display his true ability.
Luís Hemir Semedo
Luís Hemir Semedo was signed by Sunderland last summer for an undisclosed fee from S.L. Benfica. The at-the-time 19-year-old was immediately given the burden of wearing the number nine shirt and hasn’t been able to live up to expectations this season.
In 23 games, he was unable to register a single goal and made a minimal four starts. Having forked out a fee and a five-year contract for the youngster, this must come as a worry, but he still has plenty of time to resolve his woes and prove himself in the red and white of Sunderland.
That appears unlikely to come this year with the Black Cats surely targeting a more experienced striker to lead their line. Based on this, Hemir should angle for a loan move away from the Stadium of Light in search of regular game time.
A return to his native country would make the most sense, with a host of Portuguese clubs surely lining up to sign a former talent from Europe’s most prestigious academies.
His youth-team record is one to be admired and if he is able to transfer that to men’s football, then he could become a real threat for Sunderland in the future. However, right now, a loan move is the right option unless he is promised a starring role by Sunderland’s new manager.
| Luís Hemir Semedo’s Youth Record vs First Team Record (Transfrmarkt) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Level | Youth | First-Team |
| Appearances | 61 | 44 |
| Goals | 31 | 2 |
| Assists | 2 | 1 |
| Minutes per contribution | 113 | 418 |
Eliezer Mayenda
A final player that would be worth sending out on loan is Eliezer Mayenda, who has shown flashes of brilliance when he has played for Sunderland.
Last season, the attacker spent time out on loan with Hibernian but struggled for game time, making just four appearances. For the Black Cats hierarchy and Mayenda, this would have been a real disappointment, with the lack of minutes somewhat hindering his development.
For this reason, next year should give Mayenda a second opportunity to impress on loan as he searches for persistent game time to make a mark.
A Spanish youth international, he may consider a move abroad, and a host of Ligue 2 clubs could show keen interest in the attacker. Whatever the case,if he remains on Wearside, it seems unlikely that he will be allowed to feature heavily.
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