Sunderland’s Carl Winchester won’t be offered a new contract with the midfielder reportedly set to leave the Championship outfit during the summer transfer window.
Dan Neil and Corry Evans agreed fresh terms at the Stadium of Light recently, while Tony Mowbray still has hope that Ross Stewart will do the same.
But its telling that, while Sunderland step up their attempts to tie down a number of players deemed to have bright futures on Wearside, little has changed as far as Winchester is concerned. If Neil is the future, then the 29-year-old Northern Ireland international is the past.
A key cog in Alex Neil’s promotion-winning machine last season, Winchester has not kicked a ball under Tony Mowbray.
He was farmed out on loan to third-tier Shrewsbury Town late in the summer transfer window. Don’t rule out Winchester sticking around at New Meadow too; his contract running down and a new deal not forthcoming.
Sunderland will let Carl Winchester go
The former Forest Green Rovers ace, per the Sunderland Echo, is perhaps the only Black Cats player who will leave on a free on July 1.
Winchester, who filled in as a right-back at Sunderland on occasions, is thriving in his favoured midfield role at League One high-flyers Shrewsbury.
“All of them, the loan boys have been brilliant,” manager Steve Cotterill tells the Shropshire Star. “Carl Winchester, Killian Phillip, Rob Street, Christian Saydee, and Taylor Moore. They have all been a success so far.”
Lee Johnson was still Sunderland’s manager when Winchester arrived two years ago. And the now-Hibernian boss was full of praise not only for the Belfast-born enforcer’s versatility but also his attitude.
“(The Sunderland fans) can see why we brought a quality player in,” Johnson told The Chronicle.
“Winnie is trusted (at full-back),he is trusted in midfield. In the number ten position. I could even play him centre-half if I needed to!
“There were a lot of people who raised their eyebrows that one of my first signings was Carl Winchester.
“You come here, and everybody expects you to make stellar signings. But you have to back your judgement and that of your recruitment team, and we did.
“He came in on a free transfer, and I think it has proved to be really good business.”
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