Jol concedes the Scot was on his shortlist in the close season.
"Yes (I was interested in Fletcher), but he was quite expensive," the former Tottenham manager said.
"Sunderland are well-known for getting these players in. They did that with Connor Wickham. They paid a lot of money for him. You could say Fletcher is doing well, but why shouldn't he be? He is a terrific number nine."