Sunderland 'culture' clear as Granit Xhaka 'agrees' Chelsea terms - expert
Sunderland have the correct culture in place to target Champions League qualification in the coming years.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the Black Cats are currently working on the principle of "no limits but no targets."
This comes after director of football Florent Ghisolfi recently revealed that the Wearsiders have their eyes on playing in the Champions League in the near future.
Wyness believes that it is a perfectly achievable goal for the North East outfit, and also noted that it does not place additional pressure on manager Regis Le Bris.
Sunderland shocked the Premier League by qualifying for the Europa League in their first season after promotion, and they are now looking to go one better.
Last season's exploits ended a 42-year wait for a return to the European stage, but they are keen to ensure it becomes a regular thing for them.
Keith Wyness: Sunderland must find way past Granit Xhaka issue
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that losing Granit Xhaka could seriously hamper Sunderland's long-term progress.
The 33-year-old midfielder is rapidly closing in on a move to Chelsea, and has already agreed personal terms to reunite with Xabi Alonso.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness stressed that the Black Cats must find a way to "mitigate" his potential exit.
"I believe the culture they're creating is like no limits but no targets. So perhaps it was wrong to say explicitly that it (Champions League) was one of the targets," he said.
"We just talked about Nottingham Forest, who had a good season two years ago, and then fighting relegation last season. So Sunderland will be aware.
"My concern there is that Xhaka is a crucial piece of that puzzle, so they're going to have to try and find a way to mitigate that situation with Chelsea terms agreed.
"I think the culture is okay right now at Sunderland, and I don't think there's anything too far wrong with that mentality. They'll perform, but they'll be aware it's not going to be easy to replicate your first season."
Sunderland in line for '£2.5m' summer windfall
Wyness recently told Football Insider that Sunderland stand to make around "£2.5million" from their pre-season tour of the USA this summer.
Wyness expects the tour to be lucrative for the club in the short-term, but also provide huge long-term benefits in terms of sponsorship opportunities.
He praised the Sunderland hierarchy for arranging the tour, and emphasised that it could do wonders for their international exposure.