DAVID MOYES insists Sunderland had to keep Jermain Defoe in January despite running the risk of losing the predatory striker for nothing ahead of a summer of financial realignment at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats’ worse fears have been realised and Championship football will be returning to Wearside in August, when talismanic front-man Defoe is unlikely to be still around.

The fall out of the Premier League will see a number of players leave as free agents at the end of their deals, while those who remain at the club will have their wages cut by 40 per cent because of clauses in their contracts.

Jack Rodwell - a £10m signing three years ago - is understood to be the only Sunderland player who will avoid the pay cut, while Defoe will have the opportunity to leave for nothing if he wants to.

Bournemouth, West Brom and West Ham United are among the clubs keen to sign Defoe and the situation rankles with Moyes, who knows he turned down a £6m offer from the Hammers in January.

The Sunderland boss, whose side play a final home game against Swansea today, said: “No, we couldn’t do it (sell in January). But because I knew about the contract it was playing in the back of my mind. But the money we were offered was not enough to turn our heads. It was about five or six million.”

The clause in Defoe’s contract was agreed before Moyes took over last July. The 34-year-old signed a one-year extension during Sam Allardyce’s time in charge, meaning the deal he signed in January 2015 was extended until 2019.

There are other Sunderland players who have other clauses, with Fabio Borini thought to be one of those. He could leave for £6m, with Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers keen.

Moyes said: “As a club you have to be able to say, ‘no we can’t’ (include the clauses). We have other players with similar things in their contract, not exactly like Jermain, but there are others. There is nothing in Jordan Pickford’s contract (laughs) - that one is a big, big price tag, an enormous price tag.”

And Moyes added: “I am very surprised about Defoe’s clause. I would hope if I was a manager, I would not have had a contract which would have allowed somebody to leave in that situation.

“What price might we have got at Sunderland for Jermain Defoe if we had gone down, albeit at his age? There would have been a decent price on Jermain’s head if we had gone down. We have not got that.”

Asked if Sunderland have allowed a prize asset to leave for nothing, he said: “Yes, we have. There is one thing about contracts, you never know at the time the reasons why. I was not here, I was not privy to what happened.

“I do not believe anybody ever tries to do a bad contract or a bad deal. I believe everyone tries to get the best deal. That is the way it is. It is a bad deal for us.”

Seven Sunderland players are out of contract this summer, with three more returning to parent clubs after season-long loans. He has had discussions with those set to become free agents already this week, but he did not want to reveal who he wants to keep and who he doesn’t.

“There are a lot of players who are going back to parent clubs after loans,” said Moyes. “We brought in a couple of free transfers so we have to look at their positions. We probably have three or four players who we have to consider.

“We have had initial discussions with them and will let you know when there is any more news. The loanees will definitely have to go back but whether or not any come back, we will have to decide.

“We’ve had the initial discussions and we’ve talked about what has happened this year and what will happen going forward. It’s left with them, their agents and the CEO to sort the contracts out.”