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Sunderland's next manager will have final say on transfers, new owner Stewart Donald promises; New owner Stewart Donald has promised whoever he appoints as manager will have the freedom to choose the players he does and does not want.

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Byline: Stuart Rayner

Sunderland's next manager will decide which players join the club this season.

If that sounds a fairly obvious statement, it has not always been the case at theStadium of Light, and is increasingly not elsewhere.

With his [pounds sterling]40m buyout now approved by the Football League,Stewart Donaldhopes to have a new manager in place before the week is out.

St Mirren's Jack Ross and Leicester City's Michael Appleton are thought to be leading contenders.

But there will be no director of football, no chief executive and no boardroom interference over transfers, Donald has promised.

"The manager will recruit players, that will be his call," he said.

"We have a recruitment team and there will still be a recruitment team who works with him, but there will be no interference from Charlie (Methven, Donald's fellow director) or I."

Previously owner Ellis Short briefly employed Roberto De Fanti and Lee Congerton as directors of football, and the managers of English clubs are having less and less of a say in which players join their clubs, in line with common practice on the Continent.

Selling the players Sunderland do not want will be one of Stewart Donald's biggest challenges

Not only will the Black Cats not go down that route, they will not have a chief executive after Martin Bain was made redundant on Tuesday.

Donald and Methven have strong views on the character of players they...

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