Kevin Phillips has cast doubt over the Sunderland takeover, claiming that 'nothing would change' if it goes through.
A report from the Guardian last week revealed that Stewart Donald had agreed a deal to sell the club with a completion date likely to come in the next couple of weeks.
The buying party are a consortium led by minority shareholder Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus - the 22-year-old son of former Marseille owner Robert Louis-Dreyfus.
As part of the deal it's claimed that Donald will retain a share in the club thought to be around 15%.
With a deal moving closer supporters are getting excited about what could be in store for the Wearsiders, but according to Phillips, the idea of wholesale change is unlikely
Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips said: “My initial reaction was great.
“We all know that a takeover has been in the pipeline for a long time. A lot of people anticipating when it is going to happen and last week we heard that they had agreed a deal with a consortium.
“But I have read further and researched it a little bit and for me, does it make a huge difference – a 22-year-old that is going to take control of the club? Donald is still there and Satori is still there – that is the same. Nothing would change.
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“Perhaps a little more investment but a 22-year-old who probably knows nothing about football, knows nothing about running a football club – is he really going to make the crucial decisions to take the club forward?
“There might be investment but for me I would like to see a clean sweep of the whole board.
“For me, this takeover would make no difference. I am happy there is fresh investment coming in but I would have liked to haves seen a clean sweep of the whole board.”
The Verdict
The Sunderland takeover deal will be great news for supporters who are keen for a fresh start, but let's not pretend that it will be a huge game-changer.
The Black Cats will still be under financial restraints set out by the league and so that will stop them from really kicking on.
Kevin Phillips is right to express his views and it's a shame for fans that the deal won't include bigger alterations.
