Benji Kimpioka will be BANNED from Sunderland first team if he doesn't sign new deal plus Denver Hume contract update

Kimpioka, 19, is one of three players who have been offered a new contract at the Stadium of Light, along with defender Denver Hume and midfielder Elliot Embleton, who has been playing on loan at Grimsby this season.

Hume, who has broken into the first team this campaign, and Embleton will both see their current contracts expire at the end of the season - but Donald is hopeful the pair will put pen to paper soon.

Speaking to the Roker Rapport podcast, Donald said: "They've all been offered contracts, we've got verbal agreements that they'll sign, then the details have changed. The yes I'll sign has gone to the detail could change please.

"Like all the fans I'm the same, we lost Josh, we don't want to lose any of these three lads, we've given them contract offers, they're decent offers and we've said if there's anything not where it quite needs to be we'll try and iron it out and get it done.

"My instinct is that Denver and Elliot, I'd very much hope that they would sign and sign quickly."

A deal for Kimpioka, who has impressed for the first team in the Checkatrade Trophy this season, could prove trickier though, with Donald keen to avoid a similar situation which led to Josh Maja's departure in January.

With that in mind, the Sunderland owner has a strong message for the club's youth players who are not willing to sign new deals.

"Benji Kimpioka, we've put a deal to him, his agent is more difficult but I've had a very straight forward conversation, which is a conversation that I've had with the entire staff," added Donald.

"In Denver and Elliot's case this is a contract renewal, therefore they sign and they want to be here or they don't - but I hope that they will.

"With Benji he's already got a contract and another year to run and I don't want another Josh Maja scenario at this football club.

"If he got into the first team and January comes along and he'd done well like Josh had done, he's got six months left on his contract, we'd expose ourselves again having promoted him.

"I've said with Benji, and a couple of others who have got one year left, that they need to commit their future to the football club.

"I've said to Jack (Ross) and I've said to the staff, if they don't commit you're not allowed to play them, I don't want players who won't commit their future if we feel we are being fair with them with regards to the offers.

Donald was also quizzed on the future of Lamine Kone, who remains a Sunderland player despite being out on loan at French side Strasbourg.

The Sunderland owner doesn't expect the defender to return to Wearside at the end of the season though.

"The club he's at have got an option which they can exercise if they want to keep him for a fee, we believe that is likely," said Donald.

"If that doesn't happen based on what we're being told and how we feel, I think he'll find another club, I'd be amazed if you see Lamine back here in a Sunderland shirt.

"To be fair to him he came here, he trained and he was honourable, I've got no issue with him.

"I think just with his stage of life he wants to go back and play in France."