Irish businessman linked with potential Sunderland takeover

Irish businessman William O'Brien has been linked with a potential takeover over of Sunderland.
A number of parties are interested in buying SunderlandA number of parties are interested in buying Sunderland
A number of parties are interested in buying Sunderland

According to the Times, O'Brien and a group of English investors are interested in a deal to take the club off Ellis Short's hands.

Short is willing to sell and there are believed to be a number of interested parties at this stage.

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The report says that Niall Quinn has acted as a sounding board for the group, though it is understood that the club legend is not close to any potential deal and certainly has no interest in returning to the club in a frontline capacity.

O'Brien runs a successful crane hire and storage company with bases across Europe. He offered no comment to The Times when approached regarding his interest.

Yesterday, Chris Coleman insisted that a change in ownership will be crucial to the club's long-term prospects.

He said: "It is tough circumstances but for the experience I am having it will still make me better. We are all struggling, you have to get through it.

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"Wherever we finish, we have to work from there. There is a blueprint then to work from there but I can't say that yet.

"I don't know where we will be yet or who will be with me or who will be here full stop. I hope to God I am here. I want to be here.

"It is not about which league we are in, it is about who is here and who has a plan and is it a good one?

"All that anybody has to do who buys this club is look at it, the last four or five years, and do it completely different, that is what they have to do.

"That is my opinion. If they share that with me, brilliant."