SUNDERLAND manager Alex Neil has outlined the club’s transfer strategy involving a heavy investment in adding younger players to his squad.

Whilst Neil is continuing to build a squad capable of achieving promotion from the Championship this season, their remit has been to build a squad for the forthcoming years.

So far, all of the Black Cats signings, Daniel Ballard, Jack Clarke and Aji Alese, are all under the age of 22. Clearly the market to find young developing players means Sunderland will scour Premier League clubs for potential options as they are attempting to strike deals with Everton frontmen Nathan Broadhead and Ellis Simms.

The Black Cats have been in talks with Broadhead over a potential return to the Stadium of Light after last season's loan spell while Simms has declared his desire to join the club as they attempt to push a deal through before this weekend's game against Coventry City.

All five permanent signings so far, Leon Dajaku, Daniel Ballard, Jack Clarke, Aji Alese and Alex Bass, are all under the age of 24 which sends a definitive message. 

“What I think we all need to be clear on is the strategy and the structure of the club” said Neil.

“The strategy of this club is to buy young developing players, improve them to create value within the team and within the club. They will be supplemented by senior players that are in there like a Danny Batth, Bailey Wright, Corry Evans, Alex Pritchard.

“The majority of our transfer fees, in fact pretty much all of them, will be spent on younger players. They won’t be spent on guys that are older. It really is as straight forward as that so I think that’s been quite widely known. If it’s not then that is what we are trying to do.”

A combination of Sunderland’s recruitment team, Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman and manager Neil all put their heads together when it comes to transfer policy. The Sunderland boss was quick to debunk any notion that all transfers in and out of the club are only ran through him.

“This is the bit where people always get mixed up with at most football clubs” Neil continued. “There is never ever any club in the history of football, probably in the last ten years, where managers solely pick a player.

“It’s a collective effort. We need to make sure that the money is right. We need to make sure the progress in terms of making the team right. But equally, I’ll always have the final decision on whether I want to sign a player or not so I think that is vitally important. It’s a collective effort.”