Jack Clarke goes, Chris Rigg stays: Six early Sunderland summer transfer window predictions

Sunderland's search for a new head coach continues without resolution but a huge transfer window is now open as the Black Cats look to rebuild their squad.

So while we wait for developments on the new boss, what might that summer window look like for Sunderland and what can their fans expect? Here's six very early predictions but remember, things can change quickly in football...

JACK CLARKE GOES

Hopefully this first prediction proved to be unfounded but right now, it seems far more likely than not. There looks to be little to no chance of a new deal being agreed and there are echoes of the Ross Stewart saga in that regard; Clarke's progress has rapidly outpaced Sunderland's and the club cannot/will not break their wage ceiling to compete with the potential riches that could be on offer from Premier League clubs.

Clarke himself is in no rush to leave a club he loves playing for and that has done so much to help him rebuild his career, and with two years left on his deal there is no need for Sunderland to accept any kind of cut-price bid. If only poor offers materialise, they can reject them and benefit from Clarke's quality next season. But the longer the current impasse goes on, the more his value will begin to decline. A sale this summer could land a massive windfall for Sunderland, one that would allow for significant reinvestment and also strengthen their hand when it comes to any bids for other players in the squad. While the impact of financial fair play has seen Premier League spending decline in recent windows, it would be a major surprise if no one made a strong move for Clarke and his homegrown status is another appealing attribute. There could also be interest from abroad, too, with Lazio making a late bid in the January window.

After last season's attacking struggles and the poor results that coincided with his injury lay-off, the thought of a Sunderland team without Clarke is a scary one at the moment and yet is one that the club will surely have to be well prepared for.

OTHER KEY PLAYERS REMAIN

There is bound to be significant interest in Sunderland's other key players this summer and indeed many of them have already been linked with top-tier clubs. In fairness, one thing the club have been consistent on since the change in ownership is that players won't be sold for anything less than a premium and so far they've kept to that word. Only Stewart's departure represents a significant sale and that was heavily influenced by his contract situation.

That significant fee from Southampton also means there is no significant financial need to sell and the club's generally very proactive contract management has left them well placed to resist any modest bids. The biggest concern elsewhere in the squad would be Dan Neil, who like Clarke has two years left on his current deal and has rejected the opening offer of an extension amid the ongoing uncertainty at the club. The ongoing managerial saga will undoubtedly unsettle the dressing room if it continues, and returning for pre-season without a resolution would be hugely damaging for the club. If they can get that sorted, then there's no reason to think there will be anything approaching a fire sale this summer.

SOME EXPERIENCE ARRIVES - IN GOAL AND IN MIDFIELD

Many felt that the inexperience in Sunderland's squad was laid bare as they badly fell away in the closing stages of last season. It looked like a club and a team lacking leadership on and off the pitch as the campaign drifted into lower mid-table mediocrity, and had it run on for another few weeks then things could have got even worse. Since then the Black Cats have actually lost two of their most inexperienced players in Corry Evans and Bradley Dack, who will both depart when their contracts expire at the end of this month.

One of the key questions for supporters heading into this window is whether the club will show a little bit of flexibility in order to get a bit more balance in the squad. Towards the end of the campaign, interim boss Mike Dodds said that his impression from the club's early recruitment meetings was that they would be. While the club are absolutely not going to shift from their wider strategy and will almost certainly name one of the youngest teams in the division again next year, there does appear to be a recognition that those who have left will have to be replaced at the very least. There is an early indication of that with the club in advanced talks to sign the former Coventry City goalkeeper Simon Moore, who will become a free agent at the end of this month. Anthony Patterson will be the first-choice goalkeeper next season (unless there is a huge bid) but Moore will add some much-needed experience to the dressing room. Sunderland will need to add more Championship experience and knowhow to the group, and central midfield looks like the ideal place to do that following Evans' departure.

CHRIS RIGG STAYS

Having turned 17 earlier this week, Rigg can now sign a professional contract. Sunderland are relatively well protected in the short term even if he decides not to do so now, as he's halfway through a two-year scholarship. The caveat to that is that he will be free to leave next summer if he does not sign a pro deal, at which point a tribunal would settle the fee. That means if Rigg is clear he wants to go and a big bid arrives this summer, Sunderland might feel they have to cash in. As of yet, no such bid has arrived and Rigg is still assessing his options. He's unlikely to make a decision until a new head coach is appointed and he has a better sense of the plans moving forward. Rigg knows his chances of regular senior football as best served at Sunderland and that's what he wants at this stage of his career. So if Sunderland can sort out their new boss and move forward quickly, they'll have a good chance of retaining him for the time being. Let's be optimistic and say that simply has to happen sometime soon.

SUNDERLAND TO SIGN A STRIKER - BUT IT WON'T BE EASY

As well as the question over experience, the other big talking point for supporters is over whether the club will show the flexibility with their budget required to land a proven operator up front. Had they had one in the first half of the season things might have looked very different, and the January window was another opportunity missed.

Sunderland will undoubtedly recruit in that position with Mason Burstow returning to Chelsea and huge doubts over how ready their other options are to lead the line at Championship level. They're expecting a more prominent role for Nazariy Rusyn, but even then more depth and experience is needed. In truth, it seems highly unlikely that they'll change course radically and sanction a potentially financially draining deal for a player with little resale value - whether that be up front or anywhere else.

It may well be that the loan market is the best way forward but even that comes with a major caveat: just about every other team in the league will be in that market and many will have bigger budgets. In short, expect another long-running saga.