Michael Beale is considering awarding Alex Pritchard a new contract at Sunderland.
Alex Pritchard’s love affair with Sunderland appeared to be coming to an end in the summer following two excellent seasons at the club.
The Black Cats made it plain that they would not prevent him from leaving if a team came calling for him.
It was known that the 30-year-old was on the verge of leaving the Stadium of Light, but after remaining past the deadline, much to Tony Mowbray’s pleasure, he has since shown his significance to the team.
He’s definitely come into his own during the holidays, scoring once and assisting three times in his last six appearances.
Despite a player’s current outstanding form, the transfer market usually sparks conjecture about their future.
Given Pritchard’s contract expires in June, many fans will be wondering if he will be offered renewed terms, and Michael Beale has already provided an answer.
Michael Beale says Alex Pritchard is being offered a new contract
Sunderland must do proper business in this transfer window by bringing in some quality recruits, but the club must also tie down their assets to new contracts.
Dan Neil, an academy graduate, was awarded a new three-year contract in March 2023; Jack Clarke was offered a new deal, but those negotiations have broken down; and Pritchard appears to be offered a new contract.
Before Saturday’s game against Ipswich Town, Beale was asked if the offensive midfielder will be offered a new contract, to which he replied: “Yeah, those things are constantly going on in the background.
“I believe that when a boss changes, there is always a period during which individuals want to watch how the new connections develop. Alex is someone with whom we have previously worked, so I was familiar with him before he joined the club and have followed his career.
“He understands our football club; he was there during the promotion season, and since I’ve been here, he’s missed the first couple of games due to illness, but he was excellent when he came on against Rotherham, scored a fantastic goal against Preston, and was the most likely player for us to score against Newcastle. He’s very essential to us, and the contract talks will take place in the background.”
This is great news for Sunderland
Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has a lot of decisions to make this transfer window, one of which is about Pritchard’s future.
The ball appears to be rolling on that front, with contract talks taking place in the background, which is huge news for Sunderland.
Since being given a regular run in the side, he has been’super important’ to their top six challenge, according to Beale, and has made some crucial contributions.
In the 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion, he came off the bench to provide two inch-perfect assists and demonstrated his devastating set-piece delivery.
Now that he’s solidified his spot on the team and demonstrated that he has a lot to give, it was critical that negotiations about providing him a contract began.
Not only does this relieve the supporters, who would have been desperate to hear the news, but it also allows Pritchard to concentrate on his game knowing that his future at the club is secure.
Leave a Reply