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James Copley: The bigger picture behind Sunderland’s surprising Romaine Mundle contract talks Romaine Mundle still has plenty to prove, but Sunderland’s contract thinking makes more sense than it first appears There is a perfectly reasonable argument for Sunderland selling Romaine Mundle this summer. In fact, I expected them to. He is 23, has two years remaining on his contract and finds himself behind serious competition on the left. Nilson Angulo and Chemsdine Talbi are both younger, both highly rated and, on what I have seen during pre-season, I would personally start Talbi against Ipswich Town. Mundle has not been amazing this summer either, though he improved vastly against Stade Rennais at the Stadium of Light. I would have liked to see him really grab his opportunity a little more when it arrived earlier in the summer, while there are legitimate questions over whether he can stay fit and whether he can consistently perform at Premier League level. All of that is fair. But Sunderland are now in discussions with Mundle over a new contract, having rejected approaches for him this summer after also knocking back interest during January, and I can absolutely understand the thinking behind it. Sometimes you have to back a player Unpopular opinion, perhaps, but I’m not against it. Mundle is still only 23, is association-trained for UEFA purposes, will not be on huge money compared with some of Sunderland’s bigger earners, and Régis Le Bris rates him. Sometimes you have to back a player when others see it differently. There has to be a longer view. Mundle still has plenty to prove, but Sunderland are effectively deciding whether the player they have seen every day at the Academy of Light is worth another chance to show what he can become. His injury record is obviously the biggest concern. Transfermarkt lists him as missing 198 days through hamstring injuries during 2025-26 alone, across two separate spells, and that followed further hamstring trouble during his earlier time at Sunderland. That is an enormous amount of disrupted football for a young winger whose game is built around sharp movement, acceleration and the confidence to take defenders on. It is difficult to build any rhythm when you are repeatedly stopping, rehabilitating and then trying to get back up to speed. His Premier League season became almost impossible to judge properly because of it. Mundle played only around 400 league minutes without registering a goal or assist, but that is barely the equivalent of four and a half full matches spread across an injury-hit campaign. The Fulham miss should not define him I also think one moment has stuck in the minds of Sunderland supporters more than it probably should have. Mundle’s miss against Fulham at the Stadium of Light was bad; there is no point pretending otherwise, and it came at an important stage of the game. He had a huge opportunity and should have scored. Sunderland were punished afterwards and, because chances at Premier League level can be so precious, it became one of those moments people remembered whenever his name came up again. But there was a lot more going on around Mundle at the time. He was injured during the same game and was subsequently subjected to racist abuse online, something Sunderland publicly condemned. Perhaps we should give him a break. That does not mean pretending the miss did not happen or refusing to criticise his performances, but it does mean recognising that a 23-year-old footballer endured a pretty miserable period while trying to establish himself at the highest level. There is also evidence of ability there. During Sunderland’s promotion-winning 2024-25 Championship campaign, Mundle scored five league goals and registered two assists in 1,433 minutes, which works out to roughly one goal every 287 minutes and a direct goal contribution about every 205. The question now is whether he can translate any of that into Premier League football. He has not done it yet, and there is no point dressing that up, but I am not prepared to write off a 23-year-old after approximately 400 minutes in a season ruined by injuries. Why Sunderland may see value others do not There is a financial argument here as well. Young attacking players cost serious money, attackers are at a premium, and the market has become inflated enough that one good season can completely change a player’s value. Mundle could be worth a lot of money one day. That is not guaranteed, obviously, but if Sunderland can keep him fit, rebuild his confidence and get Premier League output from him, his value in 12 or 18 months could look very different. Giving him a new contract therefore does not have to mean Sunderland suddenly view him as their first-choice left winger for the next five years. It can simply be a sensible move to protect an asset while giving a talented young player more time to develop. Sunderland also have the squad depth to handle him differently now. Angulo and Talbi provide big competition, but Le Bris’ side will play a lot of football across the Premier League, Europa League and domestic cup competitions during 2026-27. Being an option without being relied upon too heavily could suit everybody, particularly given his injury record. Sunderland can manage his minutes, use him when they need something different and give him opportunities without having to depend on him staying fit for 38 league games. As things stand, I would still start Talbi against Ipswich. I think he has done more during pre-season to earn the shirt, while Mundle has not quite taken the opportunity in front of him as strongly as I hoped he might. I expected Mundle to leave this summer and I would not have been surprised had Sunderland decided to cash in. But I can absolutely get behind the alternative thinking as well. Keep him fit, get some confidence back into him and see where it goes. Sunderland do not need Mundle to become an automatic starter immediately for a new contract to prove worthwhile.