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Sunderland taken over

Sunderland have been taken over by an international consortium headed by Eastleigh chairman Stewart Donald who has put £10m into the National League club. He has put Eastleigh up for sale: Sale agreed

Donald is prepared to let Eastleigh go for free, but they were losing £37,000 a week in 2016/17 and finished 14th this season, so whoever takes over the Spitfires will need deep pockets.

Outgoing owner Lewis Short has written off the club's debts which were the 13th highest in Europe. It is thought that eliminating the debt could cost him in excess of £100m, thereby lifting his total spending on Sunderland to around £250m.

Stewart Donald is a millionaire businessman who owns Bridle Insurance, a brokers which specialises in the civil engineering and construction industries. He is a lifelong Oxford United supporter.

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