This season, the Black Cats will be aiming for a top-six finish.
Early in the season, the Black Cats’ manager, Alex Neil, left the club to take over at second-tier rivals Stoke City.
He was later succeeded at The Stadium of Light by Tony Mowbray, who led the club to sixth place at the end of the regular season and into the Championship play-offs.
However, they were denied a record second consecutive promotion to the Premier League after losing to Luton Town in the semi-finals.
They will no doubt be hoping to improve on that this time around, despite the fact that there were changes to the squad during the summer transfer window.
In total, 11 new players have been introduced to the first-team squad, with nine more leaving Tony Mowbray’s side.
Those additions appeared to be mostly focused on bringing young players with significant potential to the Stadium of Light, while some more experienced figures were permitted to go on from the North East.
But what effect has it had on the wages paid to the Black Cats’ first-team squad this season, and who is at the top of the list?
To get an idea, we looked at the financial facts behind Sunderland’s salary bill, according to Capology, to generate an approximation of the earnings paid to the squad throughout the season.
Sunderland current wage bill
According to Capology, Sunderland’s current yearly salary expense comes to a total of £5.37 million. Therefore, it is assumed that throughout the course of a year, the Black Cats pay each player an average of £179,000.
Additionally, it indicates that the club is reportedly paying its first-team players £103,269 every week, or an average of £3,442 per week.
In contrast, it’s anticipated that Sunderland spent a total of £11.088 million on salaries and benefits during the 2017–18 season. As a result of a busy summer transfer window, the club is now dealing with a pay expenditure that is significantly lower during the current season, averaging £382,345 per player.
Sunderland’s highest earner?
The winger Jack Clarke of Sunderland will reportedly make the most money during the 2023–24 Championship season. The 22-year-old struggled to make a name for himself in North London after moving there from Leeds in 2019. He first joined the Black Cars on loan from Tottenham in the 2022 January transfer window.
Jack Clarke is currently the highest earner at Sunderland AFC
After joining Spurs, Clarke had unsuccessful loan stints with Stoke and QPR. However, at The Stadium of Light, he appears to have found a place where he can flourish.
For the Black Cats, Clarke has made 79 appearances across all competitions. During that time, he has contributed 16 assists and scored 17 goals, making him one of the Championship’s most dangerous wingers.
At Sunderland, Clarke is believed to be the highest-paid player, earning £16,923 per week, or £880,000 annually, making him the team’s highest-paid player.
The Black Cats still owe Clarke a payment of almost £2.64 million before his current contract expires, although he has three years left on his deal with Sunderland, keeping him at The Stadium of Light through the end of the 2025–26 season.
