Sunderland AFC in negotiations for fresh £35m financial boost | OneFootball

Sunderland are in talks with MSD Holdings for a hefty loan.

Sunderland are in discussions with financial lender MSD Holdings regarding a potential £35 million loan for the club.

This is according to Alan Nixon, who has detailed the Black Cats' keenness to secure additional financial backing in a post on his Patreon.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has been Sunderland's majority shareholder since 2022 and made a determined effort to strengthen the squad in January to boost their promotion hopes.

He secured a loan deal for Enzo Le Fée, with an option to buy for €23 million, while also permanently signing Wilson Isidor after his impressive loan spell from Zenit St Petersburg.

Whether this will be enough remains to be seen. Currently, they sit eight points behind second-placed Sheffield United, and with 11 games remaining, they may have to settle for a play-off spot.

However, like many Mackems, Louis-Dreyfus will be confident that the current squad has the quality to secure promotion and return to the Premier League via either system.

Sunderland hierarchy pushing for £35 million loan from MSD Holdings

As detailed previously, Louis-Dreyfus is looking for a £35 million loan from MSD Holdings to boost the cash flow of Sunderland.

MSD has previously lent money to Sunderland during the tenure of Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven as the club received a £9 million boost in 2019.

They were also highly active during the Covid era, providing financial support to help clubs stay afloat, including loans to Derby County, Southampton, and Burnley.

Of course, this comes at a price, with Nixon estimating that Sunderland will pay around £5 million per year in interest when repayments start.

Adding to the complexity, Robert Platek, who is involved with MSD, is also currently engaged in a deal with Dai Yongge to purchase Reading, with both parties entering an exclusivity agreement at the start of last week.

This will bring up concerns about a conflict of interest, but with the company previously handing out loans to a variety of clubs, it is unlikely to stop them.

With Sunderland pushing for promotion to the Premier League, the timing of this loan is certainly intriguing. Should they secure promotion, they could see a financial boost, with revenue expected to increase by around £140 million over a three-year period.

In addition, the Black Cats have a whole host of financially marketable assets with the likes of Jobe Bellingham, Trai Hume and Chris Rigg all expected to attract interest in the summer.

Therefore, this loan could suggest that Louis-Dreyfus has a plan to retain some of these stars should they make it to the top tier.