SUNDERLAND captain Corry Evans is set to leave the club on a free transfer this summer after the Black Cats opted against handing the midfielder a new contract.

Bradley Dack is also set to leave on a free after a year on Wearside.

Club captain Evans returned to action last month after more than a year on the sidelines with a serious knee injury and made three appearances from the bench in the final weeks of the season.

Sunderland have been reluctant to offer new terms to players over the age of 30 and Evans turns 34 this summer, but the midfielder has been an influential figure behind the scenes and in the dressing room, even during his injury absence.

However, after hierarchy deliberations in recent weeks, it's understood Evans has been informed that Sunderland have decided against handing him a new deal.

After joining from Blackburn in 2021, Evans played 33 times in the League One promotion-winning campaign and had featured in all but four games last season before suffering his cruciate knee injury in the January victory over Middlesbrough.

That injury would sideline Evans for 15 months. He returned as a substitute in the home loss to Millwall last month and also came off the bench in the defeats to Watford and Wednesday.

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The imminent exit of Dack, meanwhile, will come as no real surprise. The former Blackburn forward - a favourite of Tony Mowbray's who knew him well from their time together at Ewood Park - joined Sunderland last summer on a one-year deal, but only made six Championship starts. His campaign was twice disrupted by a thigh injury and he only featured four times from the turn of the year.

The future of Barnsley loanee Callum Styles is not yet clear. Sunderland's option to make the deal permanent is understood to still have a few more weeks to run, meaning there's no need for the Black Cats to make an imminent decision.

Styles started 10 games and came off the bench twice after joining Sunderland late in the January transfer window. His parent club Barnsley look set for another season in League One after they lost their play-off semi-final first leg 3-1 at home to Bolton. The second leg is tonight.

Interim head coach Mike Dodds confirmed after the final day defeat to the Owls that "meetings and conversations were planned" with Sunderland's players, not only those with uncertain futures but every squad member to reflect on the campaign.

Sunderland's bosses, meanwhile, are continuing their search for a new head coach but it looks increasingly unlikely that Danny Rohl - one of those admired by the Black Cats - will be available this summer. He's said to have held positive talks with Sheffield Wednesday, who are increasingly confident they can keep the sought-after German at Hillsborough.