Sunderland are remaining tight-lipped over claims that owner Stewart Donald has agreed to sell the League One club.
Officials were not commenting on Friday afternoon on a report that a consortium led by minority shareholder Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, the son of former Marseille owner Robert, has agreed a deal which would see Donald retain a 15 per cent stake at the Stadium of Light.
Uruguayan businessman Sartori already has a 20 per cent stake and has reportedly enlisted 22-year-old Louis-Dreyfus as a majority partner with former director Charlie Methven set to retain his five per cent holding.
A planned meeting with supporters’ groups on Thursday was cancelled amid speculation that a sale was in the offing.
Donald bought the Black Cats from American tycoon Ellis Short for around £40million following their relegation from the Sky Bet Championship at the end of the 2017-18 season a year after they had dropped out of the Premier League.
However, hopes of a swift return to the second tier were dashed by a play-off final defeat at the hands of Charlton in May 2019, and the club sat in seventh place in the table when the last campaign came to a premature conclusion as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, slipping further when a points-per-game system was applied.
Sunderland, who entertain MK Dons on Saturday, currently lie sixth, four points behind leaders Peterborough with a game in hand.
