Jack Ross admits he is frustrated that Denver Hume's contract situation is still up in the air - but says he has no reason to think the academy product does not want to stay on Wearside.
Hume is one of a handful of players who will be out of contract in the summer and as yet there has been no agreement over a new deal.
Ross wants the 22-year-old left-back to stay and believes Hume is happy on Wearside, but says it is now up to the club's hierarchy to agree terms with the player's representative.
Sunderland lost an academy product in Josh Maja in January, with the 20-year-old making it clear that he would not be signing a new deal beyond the summer which meant the club had little option other than to sell him to French club Bordeaux to avoid losing him for minimal compensation.
Jack Ross hoping Aiden McGeady's can play through the pain again at Rochdale
And they will be desperate to avoid losing Hume at the end of the season with Ross having lavished praise on him during the youngster's breakthrough campaign, which has been disrupted by a knee ligament injury which kept him for six months before he returned at the end of March.
"There's no new news on that," said Ross of Hume's contract situation.
"I'm a little frustrated it hasn't been concluded.
"From my side, it's never been an issue because I've always wanted him at the club. It's not as though it is just because he has come back into the team, all the way through his injury I have been pushing this.
"I'm not avoiding responsibility but it comes out of my hands to a degree, it's other people at the club's responsibility to get everything agreed and hopefully that will be done soon because he is a good player.
"I've spoken about him often enough and I would love him to be a part of what we are trying to do here.
Sunderland pass post-Wembley character test with flying colours at Accrington Stanley
"I have no reason to believe that he doesn't [want to stay] but until everything is tied up you run that risk, and it is something we want to avoid."
Hume came into the side early in the campaign before suffering the knee injury at the end of September.
He returned to action against Walsall in the league and played in the EFL Trophy final at Wembley last weekend before making his first start since the injury in the midweek win at Accrington Stanley.
With Reece James currently injured and Bryan Oviedo fit but lacking match practice after more than two months out through injury, Hume is set to continue at left-back when Sunderland head to Rochdale tomorrow.
