Sunderland for sale: Eastleigh chairman reveals potential investment in consortium looking to buy out Ellis Short

Donald says he 'won't rule it out' but admits it is unlikely anything would happen and it would take an "absolutely sensational" deal for him to get involved.

Sunderland owner Ellis Short is looking to sell the club, with the Black Cats yesterday relegated to the third tier for only the second time in its history.

Short is actively trying to sell the club, with the uncertainty over future ownership having an impact on Chris Coleman's rebuilding plans.

Oxfordshire-based businessmanDonald has revealed he has been approached by a consortium to be involved as an investor.

Donald told BBC Radio Solent: "If I'm honest I am not that heavily involved.

"What has basically happened, it is common knowledge the club is for sale and there are a few consortiums and whenever there are consortiums there is generally a shortage of money somewhere along the line and I always get asked if I'd be an investor.

"I always say yes because it gets me knowledge of lots of things that happen at different clubs and I can take that away and it helps me here.

"That is the situation at Sunderland, there is a lead investor and they have asked me would I be involved and I have said 'look, I won't rule it out but it needs to make sense'.

"Quite where exactly it is, I don't know, I think there is quite a few people interested in Sunderland at this time."

Eastleigh are 16th in the National League.

Asked what would happen regarding owning Eastleigh if he was to be involved at Sunderland, Donald added: "Yeah it is not possible, in all honesty I have some attractive football clubs that would have made me money and I have said I can get involved if it doesn't affect Eastleigh but it has both times so I have just said no.

"It is extremely unlikely anything will happen but if remotely something did happen it would mean I would have to let Eastleigh go but it would have to be an absolutely sensational deal for that to be the case.

"I have put an awful lot of hard work and money into Eastleigh and I have ambitions of getting them in the Championship.

"If for any reason this deal looks different to all the others put on my desk, this club is debt free and run a certain way and there is no way on this earth I would ever jeopardise Eastleigh's future over making some pounds somewhere else."