Stewart Donald 'to follow from afar' as he breaks silence on Kyril Louis-Dreyfus takeover bid

Stewart Donald says he will 'watch Sunderland's progress from afar' after agreeing to sell the controlling stake of Sunderland AFC to Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.
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A deal has been agreed, pending ratification from the EFL.

The club do not expect that process to be concluded until mid-January at the earliest.

Louis-Dreyfus has promised a modern approach and outlined his vision to retun Sunderland to the top tier of English football.

Stewart Donald is set to relinquish his controlling stake in the clubStewart Donald is set to relinquish his controlling stake in the club
Stewart Donald is set to relinquish his controlling stake in the club
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Donald says that he was 'greatly impressed' with the vision Louis-Dreyfus presented convinced him that he was the best custodian for the club moving forward.

"It’s been no secret that I have been looking for some time to find the right person to take Sunderland forward and during the course of the last year there have been a lot of different people wanting to take over," he said.

"However, even though it is a matter of public record that some of those bidders offered me more money, I felt that they offered less to the club and to the community. Whereas from the early meetings with Kyril, his family and advisers, I have been greatly impressed with their knowledge and understanding, learned over a long period as owners of major football clubs in Belgium and France.

"I believe that experience, combined with a good plan, will provide a platform for the club to progress and I look forward to watching that progress from afar.”

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The club has already begun a significant restructure of the footballing department, including the appointment of Kristjaan Speakman as Sporting Director and Lee Johnson as Head Coach.

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