This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sunderland secured a vital first three points of the season with a 2-1 win over League One rivals Portsmouth.

Behind the scenes though at the Stadium of Light there are moves afoot, with owner Stewart Donald in talks with American-based financiers over the £50m sale of the club, as reported in The Sun.

So would the sale of the club be good news for all concerned at Sunderland?

We discuss.........

Toby Wilding

"I think this is good news for everyone concerned with the club.

"Things seem to have stagnated somewhat at Sunderland in recent years, so it does feel as though the club could benefit from a change in direction.

"This sort of fresh investment would certainly offer a boost to the club in terms of the impetus and expectation of a resurgence around the club, although you do wonder how that could impact on individuals within the footballing side of the club, with the new buyers potentially intending to take a different approach at the Stadium of Light.

"It is also worth noting that, given there have supposedly been plenty of talks about new investment and buyers at the club that so far appears to have failed to materialise, so there may be one or two Sunderland fans taking this latest update with just a pinch of salt for the time being."

Gary Hutchinson

“Perhaps. This has its pros and cons.

“The only bad angle I can see is another period of uncertainty. Trying to sell at the end of the season is all well and good, but during the campaign might lead to some instability.

“That’s the only bad angle I can see; they need the money and they need owners who can take them to the next level. I’ve got the greatest of respect for Donald and what he’s done there; his actual outlay hasn’t been huge but he was willing to take them on when few others wanted to.

“However, if they’re going to get back to the Premier League, they need fresh investment and this might be the time it finally arrives.”

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Kealan Hughes

“It is very much an unknown quantity as of yet so difficult to determine if a takeover would be good for the club.

“Since coming in Stewart has helped to stabilise the club and acted stringently; which is exactly what the club needed after its plight over the last few years, and it is possible that a takeover could threaten that stability.

“However, in order for the club to progress it does need investment and Stewart has made it no secret that he is looking to sell shares in the club. The timing is also somewhat problematic, as it is important efforts are concentrated on football, and any takeover should have been discussed in the close season.

“It would perhaps be best to allow Sunderland to complete the season with a stable board and manager currently in place. The Black Cats have showed positives so far and should be in contention for promotion, which shouldn’t be disturbed by takeover talk now, and instead that should be saved for a later date.”