Sunderland chairman Stewart Donald has revealed that goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin’s agent will have to be ‘sensible financially’ when talks resume over the stopper’s future.
Sunderland got their season up and running this weekend with a 2-1 victory against Portsmouth, taking them on to five points and maintaining their unbeaten start. Jordan Willis and Chris Maguire both scored first half goals to cancel out Marcus Harness’ opener.
McLaughlin was the Black Cats Player of the Year last season and a key part of their run to the play-offs, but he’s in the final year of his current contract and is free to leave the club should he not pen a new deal.
Whilst the Black Cats are keen to retain his services, Donald revealed there were issues to be ironed out when talks resume.
“We’re talking to Jon next week,” Donald told the Roker Rapport podcast.
“I had that conversation yesterday and said we’ll just tidy up this transfer window but we’re pretty confident on where we’re going with that now.
“Jon wants to stay, I’m certain of that, we want him to stay so we need a sensible starting point for the negotiation.”
Talks have stumbled in recent weeks and former Eastleigh chairman Donald explained why.
“I don’t think we got in a position when the negotiation first started that was particularly sensible. Jon is probably one of the best-paid goalies in the league so when you renegotiate that you know he probably deserves a bit more money and a longer-term deal but for that you expect to be protected if somebody comes in.
“You don’t do a deal that says this person gets loads more money and then can go for free and I think his agent didn’t quite start the negotiation off right.
“If he is sensible financially and we are sensible financially I’m sure we’ll extend his contract. I’m very confident.”
McLaughlin has been capped by Scotland and counts Burton Albion and Hearts amongst his former employers.
Our View
Stewart Donald is always very honest and open when it comes to financial situations, but I wonder if this is perhaps putting pressure on the keeper.
If an agreement can’t be reached, this rhetoric suggests it will be his demands at fault. That might not be the case and I’m sure Donald hasn’t done it deliberately, but how much is the keeper truly worth?
Without his saves they might have found themselves outside the top six last season; they certainly wouldn’t want to lose him.
