Prospective new owners Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus will oversee a string of changes at Sunderland if the deal goes ahead in the next couple of weeks.
The pair have agreed a deal to become new majority shareholders in the club, with currently owner Stewart Donald reducing his shares to 15 per cent and Charlie Methven retaining his five per cent share.
At the moment it's unclear the extent to which the new owners will have in the day-to-day running of the club, but reports coming out of France suggest major change is in the offing.
The duo have plans to restructure the club's executive structure, including the installment of a sporting director at the club, something that they have not had in place since Lee Congerton left the Black Cats in 2015.
According to French newspaper L'Equipe, Sartori and Louis-Dreyfus have instructed recruitment company Executives In Sport to begin the search for a new sporting director.
It claims they have a shortlist consisting of four candidates based in England or Scandanavia.
The new director will work above current chief executive Jim Rodwell, who is expected to continue his new role despite the executive shakeup.
Sunderland have been without a chairman since Donald's resignation earlier this year and the prospective owners will have to find a replacement in due course.
They'll also have to find a new academy director, which is still vacant following Paul Reid's departure in the summer.
A decision could also be made on the future of Phil Parkinson - who has remained coy on the takeover process.
