SUNDERLAND still hope a bid for control from a German consortium can be successful before the players return to pre-season training next Thursday.

Ellis Short, the Black Cats owner and chairman, has been in negotiations with interested parties throughout the week and is hopeful a deal can be struck – otherwise he may have to have a rethink.

It had been hoped there would have been greater movement this week, although a potential takeover is believed to have moved closer.

Official word from both the German consortium and Sunderland has been non-existent during this period, but there is a belief that an £85m agreement has been reached.

That initial sum would climb above the £100m barrier if promotion back to the Premier League was achieved.

The two sides are still talking about the finer details, however, and that is why there has been no movement on the managerial front.

First team coach Robbie Stockdale is gearing himself up to lead pre-season training when the squad returns next week, although Short is working in the hope something could be done before then.

Chief executive Martin Bain has his own ideas in mind to replace David Moyes, who has not been replaced after the club entered a fifth week of limbo.

Aberdeen’s Derek McInnes was his first choice but failed to materialise and now the search has been placed on hold while Short continues his attempts to sell up.

The German consortium is believed to have its own ideas in mind as to who they would like in charge, just as a Chinese one did last summer when there was a preference for Sam Allardyce to be at the helm before he took on the England job.

It was claimed yesterday that former Newcastle manager Alan Pardew had been identified as a strong contender by Tony Adams, who was linked with the multi-national consortium being fronted by a group of Sunderland fans.

That group, however, has dropped out of the running and the path is clearer for the German consortium to enter and complete due diligence to pull off a deal before the other interested parties make the progress required to seriously rival the bid.

Preston’s Simon Grayson and ex-Leicester boss Nigel Pearson are two other strong candidates. Sheffield United, meanwhile, are to offer Chris Wilder a new contract amid interest from Sunderland.

Sunderland are just two weeks away from playing their first pre-season friendly at Bury and the necessary adjustments to the squad have been placed on hold until a new manager is appointed.

The managerless situation has also left John O’Shea and Seb Larsson waiting because both are keen to see who is in charge and what other options are around before committing to at least one season in the Championship.

A player definitely not coming back to the Stadium of Light is Belgium international Adnan Januzaj.

It has emerged Manchester United could be set to agree a significant £8m deal for the forward, despite a couple of poor seasons on loan at Sunderland and Borussia Dortmund.

United boss Jose Mourinho is willing to let him go and Real Sociedad, where Moyes was in charge before he joined Sunderland, look set to land him.

Januzaj has a year left on his contract and Manchester United are asking for a fee in the region of £10m, as well as an option to re-sign the player if he flourishes.

The buy-back clause has not put off Sociedad and the Spanish club are in discussions with their counterparts at Old Trafford in the hope of pulling off a deal.