Crystal Palace could offer a Sunderland star much-improved wages to join them as rivals Brighton also eye up a move, according to reports.
Sunderland braced for interest in key men ahead of summer
Sunderland’s impressive debut campaign back in the Premier League is entering its final stretch, but while there is still Europe to play for, the real work of the summer is already beginning to take shape behind the scenes.
It is the sign of a club that has genuinely arrived in the big time.
Sunderland’s first season back in the top flight has produced some remarkable performances, including a league double over arch rivals Newcastle, and the quality of the squad assembled by Regis Le Bris has not gone unnoticed across the Premier League.
The problem, as with any newly promoted club that overachieves, is that others have started circling.
Robin Roefs has been one of the standout performers in the division this season, his arrival from NEC Nijmegen for around £9 million already looking like one of the bargains of last summer.
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The Black Cats have opted not to keep him.
Tottenham have added him to their goalkeeper shortlist, while Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City have all been credited with interest at various points this season, with figures of between £50 million and £60 million being discussed.
Sunderland appear to be holding firm and remain confident of keeping him, aided by Roefs himself, who has consistently deflected transfer talk and publicly insisted his focus remains on the Stadium of Light.
The situation with Wilson Isidor is less straightforward.
The 25-year-old Haiti international was pivotal to Sunderland’s promotion campaign but has started just once in the Premier League since early December, displaced by Brian Brobbey at the top of the striking pecking order.
He has scored five league goals this season but has apparently rejected a new contract from Sunderland, and is now understood to be ready to leave in the summer.
Sunderland’s £25 million asking price reportedly put off Everton, Nottingham Forest and Palace in January and that figure is expected to be lowered somewhat, though the club are not yet prepared to let him go cheaply.
Crystal Palace ready to offer Trai Hume a big pay rise to leave Sunderland
Now, one of the most significant challenges of the summer is potentially taking shape around Trai Hume.
Trai Hume
According to SportsBoom, Crystal Palace and Brighton are both actively monitoring the Northern Irish right-back ahead of a potential approach, with Palace specifically looking to refresh the right side of their defence and Brighton drawn to what sources describe as his “ball-carrying and distribution skills.”
Hume, who turns 24 this summer, has been one of the most consistently impressive right-backs in the Premier League since Sunderland’s promotion, combining defensive solidity with an ability to carry the ball forward that suits the way Le Bris wants his side to play.
He signed a new long-term contract as recently as August 2025, tying him to the Stadium of Light until June 2030 — Sunderland’s clearest possible statement of intent about how central he is to the project.
That contract gives the club significant leverage.
Sunderland have apparently set a minimum asking price of £30 million and are understood to be unwilling to even consider offers below that figure, viewing Hume not merely as a starting player but as one of the defining figures of their Premier League identity.
Palace’s interest could also include a wage package that would represent a significant step-up for the player, as suggested in the report.
For now, the message from the Stadium of Light is clear: they are not open to selling.
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