Michael Beale has been part in recruitment talks at Sunderland this week, with the club having identified “one or two” areas for improvement during the transfer window.
Beale’s first few weeks on Wearside have been a busy, with the Black Cats playing four games in the space of ten days around Christmas and New Year.
The build-up to the first Wear-Tyne derby in over eight years will not be slowing down this week, with the build-up expected to intensify ahead of Saturday’s duel at the Stadium of Light.
Despite the match preparations, Beale has found time to meet with the rest of Sunderland’s recruitment team.
And, led by sporting director Kristjaan Speakman, there is a strong desire to improve in a couple of crucial areas this month.
“We spoke about the January window in our initial meetings, and it has been ongoing,” Beale went on to say. “Stuart Harvey, the head of recruitment, is someone I knew before I came in, and recruitment here is done by a group of us getting together in a room and discussing our options.”
“We have a clear idea of one or two areas we’d like to strengthen this month, if possible.” It’s never an easy month, but we’ll do everything we can to enhance and bolster the squad, and hopefully excite the supporters.
“Those conversations are taking place in the background. If I’m being honest, this (derby) game has been a bit of a diversion, but those discussions were going on even (Tuesday) morning and late in the afternoon.”
While targets have been identified and preliminary negotiations have taken place in certain situations, Beale is hesitant to be too specific about the potential timing for January agreements.
However, the head coach has stated that nothing is imminent, and that his attention for the next few days would be solely on the preparations for the FA Cup match against Newcastle.
“I think everyone is to-ing and fro-ing a little bit,” he went on to say. “There have been a lot of discussions, but nothing concrete as of yet, so I wouldn’t want to put a timeline on it and disappoint people, or be accused of pulling the wool over people’s eyes if it comes in sooner.” However, nothing is imminent at the time.”
