Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus appear set to overhaul the management structure at boardroom level over the coming months, if their takeover of Sunderland is passed as expected, the  Northern Echo reports. 

With Stewart Donald seemingly set to step aside in order to facilitate the duo taking on a majority ownership of the League One outfit, big changes are expected at club that has fallen way short of expectations in the past few seasons as they pursue the dream of promotion back to the Championship.

One of their most significant moves will be to install a new sporting director, who will be expected to work in tandem with the club's chief executive Jim Rodwell - this, along with assessing the club's current academy status, are expected to be high on the to-do list of the incoming duo in the coming months.

Quiz: Did these 17 Sunderland players ever actually score a league goal for the club?

Questions marks do also remain over the future of manager Phil Parkinson, with the Black Cats having succumbed to their third defeat in a row in the league last weekend, losing 2-1 to MK Dons, thus seeing the pressure increase on the shoulders of the former Bradford City boss.

The Verdict 

It is sure to be an intriguing few months at the Stadium of Light once this takeover is passed, with the club once again going through the motions of a new revolution.

The incoming duo look set to give the club a much needed shake up as they finally seek to end their promotion hoodoo on the field of play after a series of sub-par showings in past campaigns.

What this takeover means for Parkinson is anyone's guess, although one could be forgiven for feeling that he could well receive his marching orders in the not so distant future if results do not drastically improve.

One things for sure, things are never boring at Sunderland and their soap opera seems set to continue with this latest twist in the tail that is sure to shake things up in the North East, both on and off the pitch.