Sunderland are looking to strengthen their squad for the short and long term in the January window

Sunderland is intensifying their hunt for new players in January. What is the exact procedure for hiring new players at Sunderland? And what exactly will be Michael Beale’s role as the next head coach in this process?

Here, we walk you through the entire process from the beginning until the point at which a player is signed.

The data analysis and recruitment staff of the Academy of Light, which was virtually nonexistent under the previous administration and has been rebuilt, has been one of the main areas of investment since Kyril Louis-Dreyfus took over.

All of these teams and staff are ultimately overseen by Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman, but the recruitment team reports initially into Harvey. Fundamentally, the aim of the recruitment operation is to identify talented young players who could potentially thrive within the profiles that have been specifically designed for each position in the Sunderland XI.

Data forms a vital part of this initial phase, streamlining the process and also in broadening Sunderland’s scope, potentially allowing them to identify players from undervalued markets and divisions that they might not be able to track with more traditional scouting methods.

This work goes on both through and in between transfer windows, allowing Sunderland to have an extensive

database of players who could potentially be valuable acquisitions,

from which the hierarchy can then select according to the needs of each specific

window. This process also moves the other way, with Sunderland constantly

evaluating how the team and the individuals within it are performing

when compared against the very top level in the division.

Sunderland are not driven entirely by data and do scout traditionally, watching players who could be of potential

interest in person. The data points the Black Cats in the right direction, from

which they then undergo more extensive research.

Harvey in particular does a huge amount of travelling to scout potential targets,

and has been travelling all over the world in recent months ahead of the

January window. Being on the ground can also allow for some really important

work to be done in building contacts and bridges ahead of a future move. In some

cases, going to watch a player who has been flagged up as a possible target can

then lead to you spotting another player of interest.The process then works the

other way round, with the data and analysis happening second to see if

Harvey or another scouts eye test aligns with the club’s goals.

A significant part of this phase is also doing extensive background work to learn about the player off the pitch, their

background and what their personality is like. Determining how a player would fit

into the group on Wearside and how the dynamic of the squad might be impacted

is an important part of the process. Interestingly, former head coach Tony

Mowbray said earlier this season that this background work was beginning to

expand in scope, with Sunderland now aware that a potentially significant sale

to the Premier League in the next few windows could allow them in turn to

target a more expensive and better calibre of player. That is what this

background work is all about: to establish a large pool of talented players

from which specific targets can then be drawn for the specific window ahead.