‘Sunderland set to make brutal Dan Neil decision following transfer breakthrough’
Sunderland are set to make a big decision over the future of homegrown midfielder Dan Neil, and it could turn out to be a brutal one.
Neil is a boyhood fan and product of Sunderland’s youth academy, and wore the captain’s armband last year as the club finally returned to the Premier League via the playoffs.
At just 23 years old, former England youth international Neil already has 197 senior appearances under his belt for Sunderland, representing the club at League One and Championship levels.
But a summer of lavish spending at the Stadium of Light has put his place in the team under threat.
Dan Neil under threat after summer spending
Regis Le Bris has gone to great lengths to strengthen his midfield this summer, making Enzo Le Fee’s loan permanent while also bringing in Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki and, most notably, Granit Xhaka.
The signing of Xhaka could be particularly problematic for Neil, with both players operating in similar areas at the base of midfield.
But Xhaka has the obvious benefit of massive Premier League experience with Arsenal, not to mention winning an unbeaten domestic double with Bayer Leverkusen and playing in numerous international tournaments with the Swiss national team.
The 32-year-old was signed with the exact remit of adding vast experience and quality to Sunderland’s midfield, and it’s Neil who could take the fall — losing the captaincy in the process.
Regis Le Bris addresses Dan Neil future
Neil — who was a target of West Ham and Everton mere months ago — has started just one of Sunderland’s pre-season friendlies so far, heading up an inexperienced group that lost 3-0 to Scottish side Hearts.
His only other outing this summer was a 22-minute cameo from the bench against Hull, with the midfielder now having cause for concern over his place in the team — especially considering Xhaka is yet to be integrated into the line-up.
Black Cats boss Le Bris was asked about Neil’s future after the Hull match and called upon the midfielder and his teammates who came up through League One with the club to ‘step up’.
| Sunderland stats | Dan Neil |
| Appearances | 197 |
| Goals | 12 |
| Assists | 20 |
“We will see what happens,” Le Bris said (Sunderland Echo, 30 July).
“I think for the players who came from League One to the Championship and then got promoted again, it’s the same for all of them, they need to step up. We trust these players, but the gap is massive. So, they will need time and they will need confidence. That’s the case for everyone.
“If they are involved, and they believe this project is important for them and they have a possibility if being part of it, then we will trust and support them.”
There is the added complication that Neil is also entering the final year of his contract.
“As a manager, the contract situation is not a problem,” Le Bris said.
“It is never a problem for me. If you are on the pitch and you can train properly, then you can be involved in the squad. After that, you have the other side of things with the club, but that is not my problem at the minute.”