Sunderland transfer news: Black Cats attempt to terminate Jack Rodwell’s £70,000-a-week contract to get him off wage bill
SUNDERLAND are trying to terminate Jack Rodwell’s £70,000-a-week contract.
The cash-strapped Black Cats are desperate to get the flop midfielder off their wage bill and are happy to write off the £10.25million they paid for him in 2014.
But while Rodwell, 26, wants to leave the Stadium of Light, he is seeking a pay-off to walk away now, which the club are not willing to grant.
The ex-England international has 18 months left to run on his five-year deal and would earn £5.4million if he let his contract run down.
Rodwell was the only Black Cats player from last season whose deal did not include an automatic 40 per cent salary reduction when the Wearsiders were relegated.
He has made just two Championship appearances this season and was booed by his own fans during his only start at home to Sheffield United in September.
Rodwell is currently out with a hamstring injury but has been training away from the first team and is not expected to feature again under Chris Coleman.
The ex-Everton and Manchester City man has made just 44 league starts in total during his three-and-a-half years at Sunderland.
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With transfer fee and wages combined, Rodwell has cost the Black Cats a whopping £4,700 per minute of first-team football.
Sunderland currently sit bottom of the Championship table, having only won 4 out of 27 games this campaign.