And Uruguayan investor Sartori also signs up–
URUGUAYAN BUSINESSMAN AGREES TO BECOME A MINORITY SHAREHOLDER AFTER DONALD TALKS
Uruguayan businessman Juan Sartori is set to become a minority shareholder at Sunderland – and help ‘maximise’ the club’s potential.
He has agreed a deal with Stewart Donald after talks in Monaco last weekend.
Sartori’s father-in-law, Dmitry Rybolovlev, owns the French club.
Sartori was part of an unsuccessful bid to takeover Oxford United, but said that he still intended to be involved with a football club.
And new Sunderland owner Donald has confirmed the multi-millionaire is set to become a minority shareholder at the Stadium of Light after positive talks.
Sartori is currently going through the EFL Owners’ and Directors’ test.
Speaking about Sartori coming on board, Donald said: “Juan is currently going through the EFL process to join us as a minority shareholder.
“We had a meeting in Monaco on Sunday and subject to it all dotting the is and crossing the ts, Juan would love to join us and help us maximise Sunderland’s potential.”
Donald knows him well through his connections at Oxford and said at his unveiling last week that he could bring an investor on board.
Donald added: “I got approached by him to get involved at Oxford, he was keen to get involved in football in the UK.
“We looked at that detail, it didn’t materialise, but we stayed in touch.
“He has had a look at a few other opportunities within football and when this first came along I called him and said ‘it is not for straightaway but would you like this? It is going to be a really nice opportunity to have a successful football club, it will be exciting, all the things I would think you would want.’
“I went over to see him and he said ‘absolutely’.
“It will mean we can lean on him and he will add value to us ongoing. It is not essential at this stage that he is involved but he will bring so much to Sunderland over a period of time that it is right to get him on board now.
“He is very well connected, bright, astute, a very successful guy. He loves his football. I think he could be a real asset to us moving forward.”
Donald added he is not actively seeking further investors aside from Sartori.
“I went over to see him and he said ‘absolutely’.” STEWART DONALD