Sartori already has ‘big input’ to Black Cats
SHAREHOLDER TO BRING SOUTH AMERICAN TALENT
JUAN Sartori is set to bring a crop of South American talent to the Academy of Light, Sunderland owner Stewart Donald has revealed.
Monaco-based businessman Sartori bought a 20% stake in the Black Cats this summer, joining Donald and executive director Charlie Methven as a shareholder.
And aside from Sartori’s investment, Donald says the director – who is Swiss-born but of Uruguayan heritage – is working on a plan to bring in youngsters from South America to join Sunderland’s academy.
“He’s had a big input,” Donald said of Sartori, speaking on the Roker Rapport podcast.
“He’s been talking to [academy manager] Paul Reid about bringing some South American talent into the academy because we see a gap in the market there.
“We are well on the way with that process.
“He will feed in a lot of South American players into the academy for us to look at. “Some will work, some won’t. But in the short-term on the footballing side, it helps.” Donald also clarified the new role he has handed former skipper and academy coach Kevin Ball, having said over the summer that he would look to hand the club ambassador a more highprofile role. Ball is working with Reid, manager Jack Ross, and the recruitment team to find loan deals for academy youngsters to help them develop. And the move is already paying off with Luke Molyneux joining Gateshead on loan last week, and striker Connor Shields, who only signed from Albion Rovers in January, joining Scottish Championship side Alloa Athletic on deadline day. Donald said: “He [Ball] is focusing quite a lot on the loans at the moment, getting academy players out on loan, getting them the right game-time at the right level. “Our view in the academy, Kevin shares it and I share it, Tony Coton and Jack, if we can, we need to get as many players out as possible playing competitive football. “We need to get them experience of playing in front of crowds. “Kevin has got a big job there because we need to ascertain the development of these lads to find out whether giving them contracts is the right thing to do.”
He’s been talking to Paul Reid about bringing some South American talent into the academy Stewart Donald (left)