Will Hume Stay in the Championship Next Season?

With the Black Cats well and truly out of the Championship playoff picture, attention is already shifting to next season. Sunderland fans will have everything crossed that star full back, Trai Hume, remains part of the furniture at the Stadium of Light.

Reports have suggested that the 22-year-old Northern Irish international is the subject of transfer interest from the likes of Leeds United, Leicester City and Aston Villa. All three clubs have been monitoring Hume’s performances closely and could be set to make a move during the close season. In fact, some of Europe’s top clubs are said to have more than a passing interest too, with Napoli also having scouted him in recent months.

It’s been difficult for Hume and the rest of the young Black Cats squad to grow in the second half of the season. Having picked up just four points from a possible 27 since the departure of Michael Beale, it’s no surprise that the Black Cats have been increasing underdogs in the Championship football league week-on-week. However, Hume’s consistency and availability have been a major boon for the squad. Hume hasn’t missed a single game in the league so far this term and that includes a handful of caps for the senior Northern Ireland team.

Hume’s success since joining Sunderland must go down as one of the rare recruitment successes for the Black Cats hierarchy. Signed from Linfield for a modest, undisclosed fee – rumoured to be £150,000 – and a four-and-a-half-year contract, Hume was rewarded with a contract extension last summer until June 2027. All of which means Sunderland can demand top dollar for their prized asset should bigger clubs come calling at the end of the season.

Is summer 2024 the year Sunderland’s owner cashes in?

With Sunderland out of the promotion shake-up, the vultures are certainly circling the Stadium of Light. Alongside Hume, star winger, Jack Clarke, has also come in for significant interest from top flight clubs. However, unlike Hume, Sunderland have been unable to agree a new long-term contract with Clarke. His contract only has two years to run at the end of this season and he’s shown no appetite to extend his terms.

This means Sunderland could be forced to move Clarke on this summer. Clarke would likely fetch in the region of £15m for the Black Cats’ coffers, which may be sufficient to deter the club from flogging Hume in the same transfer window. Hume would probably fetch £3m-£4m, which is not insignificant but wouldn’t move the needle in terms of giving the new Sunderland head coach more transfer funds to work with.

Midfielder, Pierre Ekwah, is another who could command a big transfer fee, arguably much bigger than Hume. The former West Ham midfielder has shown the dynamism and athleticism to suggest he could compete in England’s top league. It seems much more likely that Sunderland would cash in on Clarke and Ekwah before considering raising funds by selling Hume.

Hume is one of Northern Ireland’s hottest prospects

In December 2023, Hume was voted Senior Men’s Player of the Year in Northern Ireland. 2023 was a real breakthrough year for him, having been a virtual ever-present for the Black Cats while establishing himself in Michael O’Neill’s senior Northern Ireland squad.

Hume was part of Northern Ireland’s starting XI which recently defeated Scotland 1-0 at Hampden Park. Playing alongside his Sunderland teammate, Dan Ballard, has been a huge help to Hume when pulling on the green and white jersey.

With the future of the Sunderland managerial hot seat by no means decided, the future of the entire Black Cats squad remains up in the air. However, Hume has demonstrated he has the attributes to be a mainstay at the heart of a rejuvenated Sunderland in 2024/25.