£20m Sunderland financial development emerges | OneFootball

Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is talking to an American financial group over a potential £20m loan.

Sunderland owner in talks with American group

It has been a chaotic period for Sunderland in terms of owners over the past decade, as Stewart Donald bought the club from Ellis Short, before overseeing a tough period for the club as they battled to get out of League One.

After that, Louis-Dreyfus got involved, although there was confusion initially as to how much of the club he did own.

Nevertheless, he is the majority owner, and the man calling the shots at the Stadium of Light, as he tries to take the club back to the Premier League.

And, it appears he could be looking for some financial help to do just that, as The Sun reporter Alan Nixon has claimed that the Black Cats chief is in talks with a group from the US over a £20m loan, although he does add that all the funds aren’t earmarked for the club.

Sunderland’s financial situation

To some outsiders, it would seem strange that Louis-Dreyfus would want to get a loan, as he is thought to have a net worth in the region of £2bn.

But, we don’t know the cash flow situation, and the fact that all these funds wouldn’t be going to the club means he obviously has plans for his wider business.

Plus, this is something that’s very common, with many clubs in the Premier League even taking out loans, even if the majority also have billionaire owners. Therefore, this is not an update that should particularly worry the Sunderland support.

Sunderland’s summer plans

For all connected to the club, their main focus is already on the summer, as the side are sitting comfortably in mid-table right now, with a top six finish highly unlikely, and they also won’t be dragged into a relegation battle.

So, it’s about getting things in place to ensure the team is capable of pushing for promotion in 12 months time, and there’s a lot of work to do on that front.

Firstly, the obvious thing that they need to do is bring in a new manager, and reports emerged over the weekend suggesting that Paul Heckingbottom is a leading target.

Once that is sorted, it will be about improving the squad, and there’s expected to be a high turnover of players in the window, as the club face a fight to keep hold of Anthony Patterson, Dan Ballard and, in particular, Jack Clarke.

But, if any of those individuals do depart, they are likely to fetch substantial fees, which will give the club more financial power in the market.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus must get things right

Following on from that, there’s a lot of pressure on Louis-Dreyfus to get things right, as it’s fair to say there are some question marks over him and the other key figures at the club.

There has been real disappointment at the managerial decisions, whilst the issues that came with the Newcastle FA Cup tie understandably annoyed the supporters.

Sunderland facing up to a crucial period.