Sunderland Owner Ellis Short Puts Club Up for Sale for Shockingly Low Price
Sunderland owner Ellis Short has seemingly decided to cut his losses as it is confirmed the club is now up for sale.
In an even bleaker turn of events, it has also been reported that the American billionaire would be willing to sell the Championship club for as little as £50m.
If the club were to be sold at that price-tag, it would effectively value Sunderland AFC just under half of that of Barcelona midfielder Phillipe Coutinho, whose January transfer cost the Catalan club around £106m.
Sunderland’s manager, Chris Coleman, admitted that Short had fallen out of love with football and the Welshman appealed for a new tycoon to take the reins.
The news comes after Sunderland have continuously slid down the ladder of English football, as several years of bad business decisions and a seemingly never-ending string of poor performances on the pitch have left the club facing consecutive relegation.
Also, according to the Mirror, Sunderland were at one point giving away 9,000 tickets per game for free, while they were still in the Premier League.
Chief executive Martin Bain has since scrapped that revenue black hole but has also inherited a Premier League-level wage bill.
The club currently spends £35m a season on player wages, however they still get roughly that amount from the Premier League as their share of various TV deals.
A source for the Mirror said: “The club has very good infrastructure and nothing hiding under the bonnet now. The club needs a buyer.”
It was thought that one interested party from Germany was interested, but failed to prove their intentions.
Coleman said: “Ellis wants to sell the club. (The fans) recognize that maybe he doesn’t... his love for the club was maybe yesterday.
“Until we get someone that wants to turn a corner and love it, and care for it, and look after it.... hence the negativity. We know the anger and frustration. We take it on the chin until we get a new owner.
“Martin Bain is very much the man who has been pushed out in front. And he accepted responsibility. He is a big boy and can handle it. People vent their anger somewhere. Martin is the frontman for that.
“But for me, 15 years a manager, I have not worked for a better chief exec.
“We understand people will vent there anger. Our supporters need people here who care about the club as much as them.”
