Micky Gray has offered more insight into how he is trying to help secure Sunderland AFC new owners.
The Sunderland legend had people talking on Thursday evening when not for the first time he was cryptic when tweeting about a potential takeover of the club.
His latest tweet followed an interview with current owner Stewart Donald where he stated he had spoken to the Black Cats academy graduate as he desperately attempts to sell the Wearside club.
Gray tweeted on Thursday: "Twitter is not the place to be making statements.... I took a call 2 days ago but not from Mr Donald... All I can say is we are trying our best to come up with a solution to get our club back on track.. things important as this take time... it may or may not happen."
And Gray has now offered more insight into what he actually meant in the tweet, clarifying how he is trying to facilitate a deal for potential new owners at the club.
He told TalkSport: "Social media has gone crazy over the last three or four days because I'm just trying my best to look after my football club.
"I'm working very, very hard to try and get some investors. I've had conversations with people who are willing to take the club on for the right reasons.
"I've spoken to the club, although not Stewart Donald initially. I spoke to his right-hand man Neil Fox [an SAFC director].
"I've been given the figures but they're astronomical at the minute, I've got to admit. You have to pay around £35m for the club but that does get you everything - the stadium, the training ground, the whole lot.
"But what supporters have to realise is, and I am hoping this is going to happen, you're going to need another £35m on top of that because you've got salaries to pay for, you've got to bring new players into the club, you've got the overall running costs of the club, there's uncertainty over when supporters will be coming back to games.
"So this is going to be a long fought-out process. The price is incredible, it really is. There's no doubting it's a sad state of affairs where the club finds itself in League One.
"I'm not involved in any figures whatsoever. I'm just telling the potential investors about the city - what it's all about, how passionate they are, how much football means to them etc. It's my home club, and I just want the right people to go into that football club to try and get us to that next level.
"But I've said before, we're not going to jump from League One to Championship to Premier League in two seasons. This will be a long process and they're going to have to be patient whether that's with me or with somebody else.
"I just hope that we get the right people. Whether that's the people who I'm speaking to, or somebody else, I've got my fingers crossed because fans deserve a heck of a lot better than what they've had for the last six or seven years."
Donald confirmed on Thursday that he is still trying to sell the club and revealed his asking price is £37.6m - a figure most experts believe to be way above its correct valuation. Donald claims he just wants to make back the money he paid for it.
On Saturday he stepped down as chairman as the scrutiny towards him from Sunderland supporters builds, but he will remain in overall charge of the club until a suitable buyer can be found.
There is believed to be numerous interested parties, but nothing is close, with no group at a stage where they've been allowed to look at the club's books yet. To do so, they will have to provide the club with proof of funds.
