After reports last week suggested that Stewart Donald's ill-fated era at Sunderland was approaching its final stages, a major spanner was thrown into the works when William Storey delivered a curve ball with his own apparent takeover attempts.

But if it is to be Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus who become the new owners of the Black Cats, then they will have some major decisions to make as soon as they get hold of the reins.

Of course, the big question that always comes with a takeover, is whether the current manager will still be in a job. Phil Parkinson is the man in the firing line, and whilst Sartori and Dreyfus may be inclined to get rid of him, they arguably must make a far more important call to ensure Sunderland's brighter future: appointing a director of football.

It's become the vogue thing in English football over these past few years, and when you look at the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City, both have dominated the Premier League thanks to some exceptional work done by their chief transfer gurus.

More than anything, Sunderland need a bit more co-ordination and longer term planning when it comes to rebuilding their first-team squad, and getting in a director of football to oversee the recruitment side of things off the pitch could transform the club's future.

Whether it's identifying players who could come in and improve the side, or playing their part in ensuring the Black Cats don't see any more Josh Maja/Sam Greenwood stories, it'd massively help both in terms of the club's short-term and long-term planning.

There's no guarantee a takeover will result in success. But Sartori and Dreyfus can get Sunderland on their way by making the kind of call that could leave a lasting impact not just for this season or the next, but for the years to come too.