'A very complex matter': Speakman opens up on Ross Stewart's Sunderland exit

Ross Stewart left Sunderland for Southampton on deadline day, pocketing the Black Cats an initial £8million in the process.

Stewart, 27, spent two-and-a-half years at Sunderland, scoring 40 goals along the way.

His absence last season will always leave Sunderland fans wondering, 'what if?' after reaching the top six largely in his absence.

Stewart's potential summer exit always looked likely given the fact that he was due to become a free agent at the end of the season.

And the club's sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has given a recent interview to the club in which he discussed an array of matters, including Stewart's departure.

As quoted by The Northern Echo, he said:

"It's was a very complex matter because the player has performed to a very high level for our football club and we feel privileged to have had him here.

"We were really proud of the progress he made here. People will have probably made a judgement on Ross Stewart joining when he came here. We have maximised his potential and he maximised his opportunity here.

"Sometimes that's the outcome, people will move on and have different opportunities.

"What we had to do is ensure we protect the club and what we tried to do with that situation is make the best possible offer to retain him, which was our number one priority, and I said that throughout all the communication internally and externally."

It seems obvious that Sunderland wanted to keep Stewart.

He remains a player with great ability and potential too, and having him around for this season would've given Sunderland an improved chance of achieving another top six finish.

But at the same time, keeping him and not agreeing a new deal with him wouldn't have made financial sense, so selling him to Southampton became the smart choice, and getting an initial £8million in the process isn't bad business at all.

It remains to be seen how well Stewart does at Southampton and how well Sunderland's replacement strikers do; for Tony Mowbray though, the job and the aim remains the same.

Sunderland face QPR after the international break.

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