Stewart Donald's takeover of Sunderland is expected to go through today.

The Black Cats finished the season with a second consecutive relegation which took them down to League One.

This abysmal season convinced Ellis Short to sell the club in a move welcomed by the fans, although he did leave the club with no debts which is a nice parting gift.

Stewart Donald has been attempting to buy the club, with an agreement in place with Short, but it hasn't been approved by the EFL yet as they assess his business plan against the strict criteria they have for new owners.

BBC's Simon Stone believes that the deal is close to being approved, though:

The Verdict

Donald's ownership will be a welcome change for Sunderland fans. His approach is likely to be much more hands-on and he will probably have a close relationship with the fans based on his time as owner of Eastleigh.

Short isn't well-liked by Black Cats fans, but his decision to write off the debt could be pivotal for the club, because it allows them to utilise parachute payments to the full extent in their quest to go straight back up to the Championship.

Therefore, they should have a significant advantage over the other clubs in the division assuming it is used wisely.