League One side Sunderland is "facing cash-flow problems" only one month after Stewart Donald's takeover of the club, with the new owner "speaking to seven financiers about securing loans to help kick-start his regime," according to Matt Hughes of the LONDON TIMES. Donald has reportedly been offered loans of £8M ($10.6M) "to provide a capital injection into a business that recorded a loss" of £10M ($13.3M) in its most recently published accounts to June '17, but "has yet to reach an agreement with any would-be lenders." He inherited a "complex financial situation" at Sunderland, which has "fallen from Premier League stability" to League One in successive seasons, and is "weighing up whether to borrow money to help the club to get through a difficult summer" in which it "must rebuild the squad, cut costs and settle a number of bills." The club owes money on outstanding player fees and transfer add-ons "as well as to numerous suppliers." Donald completed the £40M ($53.1M) takeover of Sunderland last month, but only paid £15M ($19.9M) "up front" to former Owner Ellis Short, with the remaining £25M ($33.2M) due to be paid in two installments, this September and next summer (LONDON TIMES, 6/22).
