Michael Beale has confirmed Jewison Bennette will complete a loan move away from Sunderland ahead of the transfer window closing but remains optimistic about the Costa Rican’s future at the Stadium of Light.

Bennette has been linked with a loan move to Greek Super League side Aris Thessaloniki having made just two appearances for Sunderland this season – both coming within the opening month of the campaign.

Sunderland head coach Beale was speaking after the club’s 3-1 win over Stoke City which moved them back up to seventh in the Championship table following back-to-back defeats. Chelsea loan star Mason Burstow scored his first goal since joining in the summer before goals from Abdoullah Ba and Pierre Ekwah helped ease some of the pressure on Beale after what has been a tumultuous opening month to his tenure on Wearside.

 

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Bennette, who represented Costa Rica at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has been an unused substitute in three of Beale’s eight match day squads since being appointed in December but has not featured since September’s 5-0 win over Southampton where he provided the assist for Sunderland’s fifth goal of the game for teenager Chris Rigg. The 19-year-old has made just five appearances for the club’s under-21s side, including a goal and an assist in the 5-5 draw with Manchester United.

Bennette joined Sunderland in the summer of 2022 from Costa Rican side C.S. Herediano on a four-year deal with the option of a further year beyond that, but is set to spend the second half of the campaign out on loan after Beale confirmed a deal has been agreed. The Sunderland head coach suggests the move is to provide the winger with regular game-time, with Beale excited by the potential of Bennette ahead of his return to Wearside in the summer.

“Jewi has travelled over for that,” Beale confirmed to We Are Sunderland. “Jewi is a player that I’ve got a lot of hope for in the future if I’m honest, but he’s got a need to play. Also, with his national team in the background and the tournaments they’ve got coming up, he needs to go and play and play now.

“I came in and the boy was probably looking to get a loan to give himself some regular football. But, come pre-season, Jewi will be back in the building.

“I’ve seen a lot that I like with Jewi so he’s a player for the future for us, for sure. It's not a loan to send someone away, it’s a loan to allow someone to play and get some oxygen to build up his confidence again.”

Confirmation that Bennette is set to be loaned out follows news of Alex Pritchard’s desire to leave the Stadium of Light after the midfielder declared himself unavailable for selection ahead of the fixture with Stoke.

Pritchard is out of contract in the summer but, despite being offered an extension by the club, now looks set to leave the club.