WITH Newcastle United continuing to sift through the financial wreckage of their relegation to the Championship, Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has claimed he will not sign anyone who refuses to have a relegation clause inserted into their contract.
While Newcastle’s annual turnover is expected to drop to around £40m next season, their wage bill remains well above the £60m mark as none of the squad face an automatic reduction in their pay packet as a result of May’s demotion.
Ninety per cent of Sunderland’s players already have a relegation clause in their contract, and while Quinn is setting his sights on the top half of the table, he will not be signing anyone who is unwilling to prepare for the worst.
“We try very hard when it comes to relegation clauses and for new players now, we would insist,” said the Black Cats chief. “That would tell you what their intentions are across the table too.
“I’m not trying to put them in a weakened position, but there should be some consideration given to ‘Yes, I’m going to give you all the money, but if you fail, next year I can’t’. It’s as simple as that and even if it cost us a signing, I would stick with that, definitely.”
Quinn will meet Steve Bruce this week to discuss transfer targets, and with owner Ellis Short willing to back the recruitment drive, the Irishman is hoping to banish Sunderland’s reputation as a yo-yo club.
“There’s no point talking about finishing in the top four at the moment. It’s nonsense,” he said. “You’ve got to gradually have achievable aims and our next achievable aim is to become a comfortable Premier League club.
“We’re about to start our third year in a row in this division, so one of the yos have gone – we’re not a yo-yo club any more, we’re a yo club! We just need to get rid of the other yo now.”
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