Sunderland's prospective new German owners want fellow countryman Jurgen Klinsmann to be the club's next manager in order to give the Black Cats a new impetus and glamour after years in the doldrums.
The ambitious group are locked in talks with current owner Ellis Short and have big plans should they complete a £90million takeover in the next few days.
Klinsmann is central to their idea of trying to raise the profile of Sunderland, who were relegated from the Premier League last season under David Moyes.
The 52-year-old is an internationally-recognisable figure who won over the English public during two spells as a player with Tottenham Hotspur.