Allardyce turns focus towards next season after Sunderland survive

Sam Allardyce will hold talks with Sunderland owner Ellis Short next week over the club’s transfer policy.

Sunderland secured their Premier League status for next season on Wednesday with a 3-0 win over Everton - a result which also relegated arch-rivals Newcastle United as well as Norwich City.

The Wearsiders appear entrenched in an annual struggle to avoid relegation and Allardyce’s job now is to target the players that can improve the fortunes of a club that has managed just three top-10 finishes in the Premier League era.

He said at Thursday’s news conference: “My meeting with Ellis next week will be our time to reflect on next season and to set out a lot of where we are going to go and how we will do it.

“At the end of that conversation we will determine a way forward for Sunderland Football Club, hopefully it will be a more successful way forward than the last few years.”

Sunderland’s final fixture of the season comes at Watford on Sunday. Prior to the game at Vicarage Road, Allardyce will hold talks with several fringe players, as well as those currently on loan at the Stadium of Light, to outline his plans.

He added: “I will have conversations before the Watford game. I don’t think there’s any point in leaving players hanging.

“That’s one of the jobs I have to get through pretty quickly. It is worth talking to them if we are taking them forward with us in the next couple of days.

“What are we doing with those we already have? Whether they are on loan or under contract, whether they are not happy about not having as much game time as they wanted… we will see.

“I will have the conversations with those individuals.”