The seven key criteria that Sunderland's new owner must fulfil as Stewart Donald weighs-up options

Which begs the question, what constitutes the right owner for the club?

It’s a question that has so far gone without an answer and supporters are growing concerned.

We know there are groups interested – with Mark Campbell, Sammy Yu and Micky Gray all eyeing a move for the Black Cats – but the criteria being used by Donald to vet potential buyers remains unclear.

The ability to pass the EFL owners and directors test and possessing the £37.6million to buy the club cannot be enough. Here, we take a look at the seven key criteria that any new owner should hit:

Willing to relocate

We learnt plenty from the second season of ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’, and perhaps the most telling scenes were those filmed on the winter deadline day – where Donald, Richard Hill and Neil Fox were trying to orchestrate deals from an Oxfordshire office. Meanwhile, Charlie Methven, Jack Ross and Tony Coton were at the Academy of Light.

This kind of set-up cannot be conducive to a successful club in the long-term. The appointment of Jim Rodwell as chief executive has given Sunderland some form of leadership based on Wearside, and the new ownership need to ensure this continues.

Whoever buys the club, they and their team need to be prepared to relocate to the North East. Only then can they ensure that things are running smoothly.

Consistent communication and transparency

One of the main gripes with the current ownership has been a lack of clear communication, with contradictory statements and a lack of transparency causing a great deal of ire.

Moving forward, that needs to change. Should the new owners choose to communicate directly with supporters, they need to ensure this is done on a consistent basis with clear messages.

A long-term recruitment plan

For too long now, Sunderland have lurched from window-to-window with no clear recruitment vision.

A key priority for the new ownership should be establishing a modern, forward-thinking plan when it comes to signing players. We’ve heard executive director David Jones discuss his desire to implement a more data-driven approach in the past, and this is certainly the direction in which Sunderland should move.

The departures of Tony Coton and Richard Hill – providing they aren’t replaced before a takeover is finalised – gives Sunderland an opportunity to build a new recruitment team and implement a new approach.

Some key questions will also need to be answered by the new ownership when it comes to recruitment.

What mould of player are Sunderland targeting? Are we looking to bring in young players to develop, or will we be spending big money sums on proven entities? How can we use the loan market in a more effective way?

There is no clear answer to these questions at present, but a new owner should make it a priority to establish a clear – and long-term – recruitment plan.

Whatever the answers to these questions, they need to be ingrained in the club’s DNA moving forward. Recruitment plans cannot be ripped up as managers come and go, as that is not how successful clubs operate.

This needs to be for the long-term.

A vision for the academy

A key concern in recent months has been the direction – or indeed, lack of it – of the club’s category one academy.

While publicly the club remain committed to the academy, there are growing concerns among supporters – particularly given the recent exits of academy manager Paul Reid and a host of young talent.

Sunderland’s academy is a source of great pride and, with the right investment from a new ownership, could once again produce a host of talent for the Black Cats’ first team.

In it for the long haul

Many aspects of the current regime have felt extremely short-term.

For Sunderland to be successful, they need an owner who is willing to commit to the club in the long-term. A purchase of the club cannot be viewed as a business opportunity; something that can quickly be ‘flipped’ for a profit.

The right owner will see the long-term value in purchasing Sunderland, and will put in place plans to ensure this club fulfills its undoubted potential. We have seen little evidence of that over the last 24 months, but it’s imperative a longer-term view is established in order for the Black Cats to move forward.

Financial clout

This is a fairly obvious point, but one which needs stating.

Whoever purchases the club needs the financial firepower to move this club forward. We’re not talking about spending millions of pounds on players, but any prospective owner needs to have the capital to invest in the areas of the club that are in glaring need of improvement.

The academy, the recruitment team and the playing squad need investment both in the short-term and the long-term.

It’s one thing to have the £37.6million to purchase the club, but another to have the money to drive this club forward.

An appreciation of the club and community

Sunderland is a special club. I know it, you know it, and any prospective owner of this football club needs to know it.

Whoever purchases the club needs to realise that this is not just a business opportunity. This is a chance to be part of a football club that plays an enormous role in the community, and means a great deal to a great number of people.

This is a special opportunity, to revive a sleeping giant and make supporters dream again.

The ideal buyer will surely recognise that.