Who is Sammy Yu? The Hong Kong-based businessman spearheading a Sunderland AFC takeover bid

Yu is part of a consortium keen on a deal for the Black Cats and, in an exclusive interview with the Echo, the 66-year-old shed light on his group’s attempts to purchase the club.

But who is the public face of the bid? Here’s everything you need to know about Yu:

Where do Sammy Yu’s business interests lie?

Yu is a former footballer and coach in his native Hong Kong, but after retirement he took strides into the business world.

He is currently Managing Director at Eastern Sports Management Ltd, while also holding interests in a number of newspapers in his homeland.

His passion, however, is football and he continues to seek a return to the game.

What has Sammy Yu done in football?

Yu’s main footballing involvement came at Birmingham City where he helped Carson Yeung in his bid to buy the club.

Upon Yeung purchasing the Blues, Yu was appointed vice chairman and acted as a football consultant at St Andrew’s.

After leaving the Midlands, Yu was briefly General Manager at Shenzhen Ruby FC in the Chinese Super League – but has been out of the game ever since.

What do we know about Sammy Yu’s interest in Sunderland AFC?

Yu has confirmed that he is part of a group interested in buying Sunderland AFC.

He claims his consortium tried to purchase the Black Cats in 2018 when Ellis Short was looking to sell, and since renewed their interest – but are not at an advanced stage of negotiations.

What is Sammy Yu worth?

While his personal wealth is unknown, Yu’s financial firepower is not thought to be considerable in its own right.

However, it is important to note that he won’t be providing all the capital for the deal himself – with Yu claiming that money is ‘not a problem’ for his group.

Is Sammy Yu interested in other clubs?

Currently, Yu’s focus is believed to be on Sunderland – but he has previously attempted to buy Sheffield Wednesday.