Sunderland could soon let go of this injury-prone player who earns twice Trai Hume’s salary.
Even though Sunderland had an additional man advantage and would play the whole second half with a 1-0 lead away at West Bromwich Albion, the Black Cats defence had to fight valiantly at the Hawthorns to secure the narrow Championship victory.
Trai Hume stood out in the West Midlands, playing centre-back for the day and amassing 75 touches while confidently moving the ball out of defence, as well as winning four duels.
The 22-year-old has been an important player for Sunderland this season under a variety of coaches, rising to the occasion and excelling after joining from his native Northern Ireland in 2022 as a raw and untested gem.
Nonetheless, Hume earns a pittance in comparison to this injury-prone Black Cats player, despite the fact that the latter has yet to play a single first-team game this season.
Corry Evans’ wages at Sunderland
Corry Evans’ time at Sunderland was going well until he suffered a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury midway through the 2022/23 season, having made 64 appearances for the Wearside club in total, with the 33-year-old even wearing the captain’s armband on occasion.
Our tough tackling Northern Irishman 💥✊#SAFC | @Hume_Trai pic.twitter.com/yT3RnPgQRl
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) January 4, 2024
Evans has only made four appearances for Sunderland in the last two years, with two of those being return games in the U21 ranks to ease him back into the men’s game shortly.
However, with the missing Sunderland man nearing the end of his career age-wise due to injury issues, it appears unlikely that Evans will ever have the same impact in the first team, with Pierre Ekwah taking his holding midfield role from him, alongside an equally fitter and younger Dan Neil.
It could even be this summer when Sunderland must confront Evans’ entire cost to the Black Cats’ cash account, with the absent figure earning £8,000 per week.
Hume, on the other hand, earns less than £3k a week, and the Black Cats may be willing to part ways with Evans at the conclusion of the season in order to balance out the wage cost.
Evans’ salary compared to the Sunderland squad
It’s not just Hume who will be unhappy with his income compared to Evans’, as the aforementioned Ekwah earns only £3k per week after scoring the important winner against the Baggies in their last encounter.
Furthermore, Hume’s dependable defensive partner, Luke O’Nien, receives £7.5k a week, even as the former Wycombe Wanderers man continues to valiantly take on captain duties with Evans still not fit enough for a first-team return.
Evans is only £2k per week away from joining the top five earners at the Stadium of Light this season, despite being a consistent fixture in the treatment room, something the failing Championship club must rectify soon.
The 33-year-old’s contract expires in June, perhaps bringing his stop-start spell in Wearside to an end. This would be a dismal finish for Evans, who was a crucial first-teamer when the Black Cats achieved promotion from League One during the 2021/22 season before all of these injury problems accumulated.
However, with Sunderland looking to strengthen their roster with exciting young players for the future, an injury-prone figure like Evans at 33 just does not fit in anymore.
Leave a Reply