At the moment, Sunderland is relentless in developing young talent, and they are on the verge of signing a contract extension with one of their most exciting players.
Young players from Sunderland, such as Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham, have flourished under Regis Le Bris, and just a few weeks ago, Tommy Watson became another superstar.
Beyond Sunderland’s core team, however, there are other young players in the academy who are eager to make their debut.
Given that Le Bris prioritises the development of the team’s youth over the acquisition of new players, it seems sense that Sunderland is nearing an agreement to extend the contract of one of their top academy players.
A loan move and a new contract for Harrison Jones are on the horizon.
The Sunderland Echo reports that Harrison Jones, a 19-year-old midfielder who has started to receive opportunities in the first team this season, is on the verge of signing a new contract with the Black Cats.
Jones is the captain of the Under-21 squad, has made his League Cup debut, and has been on the bench several times.
The team is now hoping to sign Jones to a new deal that will keep him at Wearside through 2026, with an additional year’s option.
Jones is anticipated to continue working closely with Le Bris and the first team squad until Christmas and the New Year, despite his success with the Sunderland academy team. After that, he is reportedly sent out on loan to obtain important experience.
If Sunderland wants to stay in the Championship next season, they will need Harrison Jones.
There is still time for Jones to make his breakthrough this season, whether or not it takes place at the Stadium of Light, as we predicted.
We anticipate that Jones will be among the young players Le Bris uses in the FA Cup matchup against Stoke City if he is still with the team on January 11, 2025.
In the long run, though, Jones might and ought to play a significant part for the team, particularly if Sunderland’s attempts to gain promotion this season are unsuccessful.
We would anticipate that Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham, or both, would go on to greater things if the Black Cats were still in the Championship the following season.
In that scenario, Sunderland might save millions of pounds and carry on their remarkable heritage of prioritising homegrown development by having someone like Jones ready to step up to the first team.
