Jack Rodwell & Sunderland’s nightmare relationship is almost over & he should be gone next week

It looks as though Sunderland’s horrendous relationship with former England midfielder Jack Rodwell is set to come to an end, with the official confirmation of his departure set to be announced next week.

As we reported on the 12th of June, Rodwell’s representatives met with the club last week and talks went well, with a deal reached that will see the highest paid player at the club tear up his contract for a nominal fee.

As we understand it, Rodwell is away on holiday and once he returns he’s expected to sign off on a deal which will see him leave the club - allowing him to pursue his aim of playing in the MLS.

The truth is that Sunderland’s relation with Rodwell had become simply untenable, and that a deal to get him out of the club and off our wage bill had to be reached.

A clause in his contract prevented the player from taking a pay cut due to the club’s relegation to the Championship - but the clause only prevented his wages being reduced if the club were to gain immediate promotion back into the Premier League.

As we not only failed to gain promotion but suffered the embarrassment of double relegations, his wages were set to drop by 40%. That 40% decrease would still see him earn more than £40,000 per week in League One, which would make him the highest paid player in the division’s history.

As that is an unsustainable amount for a club in the third tier - even for a player who would be contributing on the pitch - a solution had to be found that would be beneficial to both the club and player.