Source: Telegraph
Steve Bruce set for Sunderland talks while Ellis Short completes takeover
Quinn announced that majority shareholder Short is to assume 100 per cent control of the club as it emerged that he had been given permission to talk to Bruce about becoming the club's new manager.
Sunderland will have to pay Wigan £5 million in compensation to prise Tyneside-born Bruce away from the JJB Stadium but that will not be a problem to billionaire Irish-American business Short who is expected to hand the former Manchester captain a £50 million transfer budget this summer.
Quinn is being coy about the club's efforts to appoint a new manager but is convinced the future if bright for Sunderland thanks to Short.
'This is fantastic news for the club. Ellis has already shown tremendous commitment to date but today's announcement opens the door for a new era at the Stadium of Light,' Quinn said.
'I first met Ellis at the Ryder Cup in 2006 and he was immediately interested in the Sunderland story and what we were trying to achieve.
'He's an avid sports fan and caught the football bug following his move to the UK ten years ago and is now a huge fan of the Premier League.
'Even before today he has personally invested more in Sunderland than all previous chairmen, directors and owners combined in the club's history. Late last summer he injected tens of millions of pounds to fund our new signings and the resultant increased wage bill.
"In going forward, as long as we invest the funds wisely he will continue to provide what has been the missing ingredient in Sunderland's make up, namely the financial muscle necessary to compete at the highest level.
'Ellis's involvement to date also enabled us to turn down a club record bid of up to £16 million for Kenwyne Jones from Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window.
"In addition, he enthusiastically supported the decision to introduce industry leading reductions in the cost of all season tickets for thousands of fans for next season.'
Niall Quinn, who will continue to run the club for Short, added: 'Whilst it's great to be looking ahead to a bright future we also need to thank the Drumaville Consortium for their involvement at a crucial time in the club's history.
'They acquired the club and energetically went about driving it forward. Without them Sunderland would not be where it is today and Ellis Short would not have become involved.
'All Sunderland fans will appreciate that their contribution over the last three years has been very important.
'They will be remembered fondly and this club owes each and every Drumaville member a huge debt of gratitude for stepping in when they did and for bringing such wonderful passion to the table."
As for the search for a new manager, Quinn said: 'It goes without saying that the search for a new manager has started and we will take what ever time is necessary to make this important appointment.
'It is imperative that we find somebody who will raise the bar and introduce a whole new mentality to our dressing room.'
Reports today claimed a compensation package had already been agreed with Wigan, clearing the way for Bruce to discuss personal terms with the Wearsiders.
Sunderland continued to deny that this is the case, although it is understood Wigan could make an official announcement later today.
Bruce refused to rule out a move away from Wigan, stating: 'There's always speculation and you cannot stop that. It is flattering.
'But I'm very, very pleased with what's happened with us (Wigan) and I'm quite pleased with what's happening in the future, so we'll see what develops.'
Bruce, a boyhood Newcastle fan, joined Wigan in November 2007 after Wigan owner Dave Whelan agreed a £3million compensation package with Birmingham.
He had spent almost six years at St Andrews and had guided Blues back into the top flight just months earlier, but became unsettled when the club's board failed to offer him a new contract amid the ultimately doomed takeover bid led by Carson Yeung.
Bruce arrived at the JJB Stadium with Wigan deep in relegation trouble following six straight league defeats under his predecessor Chris Hutchings.
He managed to spark an impressive upturn in form which saw the Lancashire club finish 14th, and that improvement continued into the 2008-09 season when they were contenders for a place in the Europa League for much of the campaign.
A late run of one win in eight matches, after safety had already been secured, meant they slipped to 11th in the final standings.
That was still five places and nine points ahead of Sunderland, despite Bruce working with a fraction of the budget granted to former Sunderland boss Roy Keane.
And after their flirtation with the Championship, it appears to have been enough to persuade Sunderland's ambitious owners that Bruce is the man to turn them into a top-flight force.
