Sunderland fans ready to rival German consortium in takeover bid as Ellis Short looks to sell Black Cats

Exclusive: TV executives from Fulwell73 are ready to buy the club from current owner Ellis Short

Sunderland are in takeover talks (Getty)

A consortium led by Sunderland supporters is ready to rival a £50m German takeover bid for the relegated club.

The Wearsiders last week announced that they were putting their search for a new manager on the backburner as talks over a change in ownership became more serious. A German consortium has held talks with current owner Ellis Short in London, with the American businessman looking for £90m to sell the Championship club.

However, The Independent can reveal that another consortium comprised of wealthy Sunderland fans is also set to bid.

Television executives Leo Pearlman, Gabe Turner and Ben Turner are leading a bid that is also believed to count on the support of former Arsenal defender Tony Adams and Chelsea's former business affairs director Paul Smith.

Adams, currently Granada's sporting director, is thought to have been offered a role in the new set-up.

Pearlman and the Turner brothers are co-owners of production company Fulwell73, which takes its name from one of the stands at the old Roker Park stadium. 73 refers to the Black Cats' 1973 FA Cup win, when they beat Leeds United at Wembley.

"These guys are huge Sunderland fans and just want to help the club get back to where they should be in any way possible," a source told The Independent.

Sunderland were relegated after finishing bottom of the Premier League last season, prompting David Moyes to leave the club.

Fellow Scot Derek McInnes was lined up to spearhead the club's bid to return to the top flight, but pulled out last week amid fears new owners would want their own man at the helm.

The club released the following statement.

“Since the end of the season, our focus has been to appoint a new manager.

“Recently, however, discussions have been entered into with parties who have expressed an interest in acquiring ownership of the club.

“With this backdrop, we have been unable to give the assurances any potential candidate would need regarding the plans a new owner could have for the manager’s position. The recruitment process, while still very much active, cannot therefore be concluded imminently.”

The statement added: “In talking to parties who have shown interest in acquiring the club, Ellis Short is determined to make sure the best interests of Sunderland are at the heart of any decision regarding its future.

“We are aware of the need to act swiftly to appoint a manager and, to ensure this is the case, have placed a time limit on discussions regarding a sale. If discussions are not concluded within our defined timeframe, we will terminate the process and move forward with plans for the new season."