Championship outfit Sunderland have confirmed that they are in talks over the sale of the club.
The club owner Ellis Short is keen on selling his stake and Guardian are reporting that a German consortium has held talks with the Black Cats. Consortiums from China and the Middle East have previously shown interest in taking over the club.
As per the report, Short is in advanced talks to sell the club but he wishes to complete the deal within a given timeframe. The Sunderland owner is prepared to pull out of negotiations in case of a delay.
Sunderland are keen to focus on preparations for next season and therefore the sale will have to completed soon. The uncertainty over the club’s ownership has already affected their search for a new manager.
David Moyes resigned without compensation after having failed to beat the drop last season. Recently, the Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes turned down the chance to replace Moyes.
Sunderland will be hoping for a swift return to the Premier League and therefore getting a good manager is imperative for them. It will be interesting to see whether Short manages to negotiate a sale before the transfer window opens in July.
Sunderland’s statement read:
Since the end of the season, our focus has been to appoint a new manager. Recently, however, discussions have been entered into with parties who have expressed an interest in acquiring ownership of the club. With this backdrop, we have been unable to give the assurances any potential candidate would need regarding the plans a new owner could have for the manager’s position. The recruitment process, while still very much active, cannot therefore be concluded imminently. In talking to parties who have shown interest in acquiring the club, Ellis Short is determined to make sure the best interests of Sunderland are at the heart of any decision regarding its future. We are aware of the need to act swiftly to appoint a manager and, to ensure this is the case, have placed a time limit on discussions regarding a sale. If discussions are not concluded within our defined timeframe, we will terminate the process and move forward with plans for the new season.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
