Sunderland are willing to cut their losses and grant Jack Rodwell a free transfer after the top earner asked to leave the club - but he won’t get a pay-off, the Echo understands. The Echo has learned that Sunderland informed the wantaway midfielder almost two weeks ago that he could leave as a free agent, but he wouldn’t receive any kind of payoff. Cash-strapped Sunderland are yet to hear back from the midfielder or his representatives. Rodwell earns £70,000 a week, has 18-months left on his Sunderland contract, has barely played this season, and the Echo understands that he has made it clear that he doesn’t see his future on Wearside. It remains to be seen whether the former Everton and Man City midfielder has played his last game for the club. If Rodwell departs it would free up a huge chunk of wages with Sunderland accepting that there is little prospect of selling the midfielder, who is taking up a significant part of the wage bill. Rodwell was the only player from last season’s squad not to have their weekly pay packet cut by 40 per cent following relegation, yet the 26-year-old has made just three first team appearances this season, because of injury. Chris Coleman’s midfield options have been decimated in recent weeks, but he hasn’t been able to call upon Rodwell, who has been nursing a hamstring complaint, since taking charge. Speaking last month, Coleman said that it was up to Rodwell to prove that he had the appetite for the Championship relegation battle, and made it clear that he needs to play more football. Coleman, speaking in December, said: "We need players here with an appetite who want to play football. Ability wise, it is never in question with Jack. He has to play more football. I don’t care how he does it, he just needs to be on the pitch more. That will be up to Jack." Sunderland signed Rodwell for £10million in 2014, but he has been unable to reproduce the form of his early career under a string of different managers. Rodwell was booed by his own supporters in the home defeat to Sheffield United in September, and hasn’t played for the first team since the 3-0 EFL Cup defeat to Everton later that month. He has featured twice for the U21s in the Checkatrade Trophy in an attempt to reinvent himself as a centre back. Rodwell is the latest player to express a desire to leave Sunderland, who prop up the Championship table. Lewis Grabban returned to parent club AFC Bournemouth at the start of the month, while James Vaughan was sold to Wigan Athletic. Both Lamine Kone and Watford loan target Didier Ndong - sent off in the 4-0 humiliation at Cardiff City - have also informed the club’s hierarchy that they see their futures elsewhere.
Complete waste of DNA, its tosspots like him that have this club in the s4hite its in, yet when a club needs player to front up, roll the sleeves up and get some hard graft done, he bails out....Him, Kone and N'Dong can just pi55 right off.
I feel insulted that he wants away. We've given him millions in return for nothing Glad he does want away though I thought his contract was up in the summer, but he's still got another year after that!! Wow
We may as well give him away because nobody will want to pay any money for him. 70K off the wages is huge and a wave of relief will wash over us when we're finally shot of him. No offence Jack but please sod off and find yourself a new club.
No offence Jack but please sod off and find yourself a new club. Well he has prove to be useless for us Please get rid ASAP
But whose going to be daft enough to take him even for nowt. Sadly he hasn't gone yet and this window is half way through, won't get excited until a deal is done and he's gone. Good riddance IF it happens.
The annoying thing is that he probably ends up doing a good (or at least decent) job for someone. That will prove he just wasn’t bothered about making any kind of effort here
Would be a major win. Weird. Letting someone go for free should not be a big win. That' how **** we are.
@SkySports_Keith Sunderland and Jack Rodwell at a stand-off. SAFC have offered to rip up his contract and let him leave for free. Rodwell has told them he wants to go.However the feeling is the England international - who earns £70,000 a week - would be looking for a pay-off with 18 months left.
Im not condoning violence but I am surprised footballers dont occasionally get kneecapped by disgruntled employers or lunatic fans!
It will be the best day this year if he leaves. It makes me physically sick to think he's earning 70kpw. There's teams in this league in the top 6 who'll have nearly an entire starting 11 on that a week. I've said before I think he'll retire the day his Sunderland contract is over. He doesn't want to earn his money and I can't see him walking away from a guarenteed £5m in wages I just can't even see a team taking him for free as he isn't physically capable of playing football Just please go!
I assume he realises he won't get anywhere near £70k at another club. If we were stupid enough to give him a daft contract why would you want to give money away? Playing devils advocate, He is still a ****house.
The sackless piece of ****, he's robbed a living from us for what, 3 - 4 years? . Time to organise the lynch mob, get round his house and let the **** know how we really feel about him. pitchforks at the ready, lads.
The sad thing was that the TWAT could have probably paid for all of those staff at SAFC to keep their jobs on the amount of money he was on!!!!
Obviously he has no intention of doing anything or going anywhere. This financial "Millstone" holds all the cards, its taken Coleman to call him out, at least now the situation is clear for all to see, but what can we do about it, nothing.
Hes an absolute coward. Hes just lucky that our dressing room is teaming with them or I'd wager he'd have been clipped by now.
