Sunderland manager Jack Ross
Sunderland manager Jack Ross has lost a couple of players already this summer (Picture: Getty Images)

Liverpool have signed two unnamed players from Sunderland’s academy, according to Black Cats owner Stewart Donald.

The League One side narrowly missed out on promotion to the Championship this year, losing 2-1 in the play-off final to Charlton at Wembley.

The Mackems are also dealing with some struggles off the field as they are losing academy players to bigger clubs with very little they can do to stop the youngsters leaving.

Donald was responding to claims that the Sunderland academy was in trouble, and admitted that he is forced to try and haggle for perks from the likes of Liverpool instead of keeping hold of their young talent.

‘We are having our players poached,’ Donald told Sunderland fan podcast Roker Report. ‘There are two players who will go to Liverpool.

‘We tried to keep them. We said to the parents “If you really want to go you have to put it in writing.” The parents have written in and said “Thank you Sunderland, we want our lads to go to Liverpool.”

Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp is welcoming some new players to Anfield (Picture: Getty Images)

‘We could turn around and make that awkward and then they will go in the summer anyway.

‘Or we can talk to Liverpool and try and get sell-ons, which they don’t have to give us. Both of those lads, because of the relationship we’ve got with Liverpool which could see some players come in the other direction, we’ve opted for a good working relationship (with).

‘We’ve asked them if they will stay and they said no. So we made a commercial decision to try and get the best arrangement.’

While Donald did not disclose the names of the players, it is because they are under 17-years-old that Liverpool can bring them in as Sunderland cannot offer them contracts.

Manager Jack Ross said after the play-off defeat to Charlton: ‘We have fallen short – not by very much but we have done.

‘You have to deal with the adversity and the knocks and move forward from them. You can’t just enjoy things when they are going well and not be able to deal with it when it goes against you.

‘I believe in my own abilities but you have to have a group of players who will continue to do that as well.’

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