Sunderland links to ex-Celtic transfer guru explained ahead of huge summer at the Stadium of Light

Sunderland are understood not to have held talks with former Celtic recruitment boss John Park.
Sunderland's Stadium of Light.Sunderland's Stadium of Light.
Sunderland's Stadium of Light.

Park was linked in the Scottish media on Wednesday morning with a switch to Wearside on a five-year deal as Director of Football.

The Black Cats hierarchy are aware of Park but are not on the brink of appointing him.

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It is understood that Park’s name has been mentioned by a potential investor as someone who could bring significant footballing expertees should they join the club in some capacity.

Park is credited with launching the careers of Virgil van Dijk and Victor Wanyama in Britain during a previous stint at Celtic Park.

He has been linked with that role again this week after Lee Congerton left to rejoin Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City.

Donald is set to welcome a new investor in the near future but the investor linked to Park is not currently a frontrunner.

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The Sunderland Chairman admitted last week that a change of structure in some capacity will happen this summer, regardless of how the club’s play-off campaign progresses.

“I think we're a little bit ahead of ourselves here," Donald told Sky Sports News last week.

"It's common knowledge, I've mentioned it before, we need a long-term plan that is going to involve getting some investment in the club.

"We've talked to loads and loads of people over the last couple of months, looked at options of trying to raise internal finance etc. Through the summer there's no doubt that they're we're going to take one of those options, but that will involve us staying at the club.

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"We've worked hard in the last twelve months, we need stability. We want to get back up to the Championship on the field, that's important, we're trying to do that, but off the field the football club has been through a lot, our conversations have been about trying to get another investor or investors in, to help us long term to get back to the Premier League.

“We have to get to the Championship first, we know that, but the Premier League is the long term aim and that's what the conversations have been about.”

Donald has not yet agreed Heads of Terms with any party but is eager not to let it drag too far into the summer and allow significant uncertainty to take hold.

He denied reports on Wednesday that the Park rumours were linked to Tony Coton, who he insists remains at the club.