Jack Rodwell has become somewhat of a villain among Sunderland fans, after barely featuring in last season’s Championship campaign.
27-year-old Jack Rodwell has become an issue at Sunderland over the past season. The midfielder has only made 67 appearances for the Black Cats since joining in 2014, but continues to pick up a hefty cheque at the end of each week.
The Englishman was the only player from the relegated Premier League side not to have a relegation clause in his contract, meaning he still picked up over £70,000-a-week last season.
Sunderland fans remain rightly disgruntled, after Rodwell clocked up a grand total of three Championship appearances last term.
And with the midfielder still likely to earn over £42,000 per week in the final year of his contract, Sunderland owner Stewart Donald has a big task on his hands to either move Rodwell elsewhere or reignite a desire for him to play, which seems unlikely.
The task of solving the seemingly unsolvable issue with Rodwell is one that Donald, along with new boss Jack Ross, must resolve quickly, before the former Manchester City man’s presence causes any disruption ahead of next term.
With a whole host of new players looking likely to feature in Sunderland’s League One promotion bid, it will be important for the men at the helm of a new Black Cats era to fix the Rodwell problem as soon as possible.
The likely answer to the issue Ross and Donald are facing will be a transfer that will suit both Sunderland and Rodwell, but the former England prospect will be hoping he has not tarnished his name after month’s of training with the Black Cats’ under-23s and several mixed reports on his whereabouts.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
