Sunderland owner Ellis Short is prepared to give the club away for free providing the new owner takes on the substantial debts that are there.

The American's desire to sell the north east club is well-known, with reports emerging in the week that he would accept offers of around £50m.

However, according to BBC Sport journalist Richard Conway, Short is now willing to give the club away for free.

Obviously, the debts that the club have mean it will require significant investment from any buyer to take control of the club.

Conway suggested that the gross debt for the club stands at £137, with £69m owed to Short himself. However, he may be willing to forego his share if it would speed up a sale. That would leave £68m that the club owe to Security Bank Corporation.

That shows just why it has been so hard to sell the club although prospective buyers may be encouraged by the fact that no fee is required to conclude any deal.

The Verdict

This sounds like very good news at first for Sunderland fans but the reality is that the level of debts the club have mean it's still going to be a very expensive deal for anyone interested.

Clearly Short is desperate to get rid of the club and if he is prepared to write off the £68m he is owed it may go a long way to helping a sale but there are no guarantees on that.

The current situation of the club, with relegation to League One looking likely, is also not going to help in any way whatsoever.

Thoughts, Sunderland fans? Let us know in the comments below.