Roker Roundup: Report claims Stewart Donald turned down £70m Malaysian bid to buy Sunderland

Donald rejects £70m offer

Stewart Donald has made no secret of the fact that he would sell Sunderland if a potential owner came along that he believed would take the club further than he can.

According to the Sun, that has been put to the test during the past week with Donald reportedly rejecting a £70m offer from a ‘mystery’ Malaysian.

The report claims that the bid was rejected due to the terms of the deal. With the Malaysian reportedly offering to pay £45m - £20m immediately and £5m per season over five years - and then an extra £25m should Sunderland return to the Premier League.

It is claimed that Donald is in talks with other interested parties but wants the guaranteed money to be paid more quickly in case the opportunity arises to invest in another project - with Oxford United mentioned in the report.

Daily Echo

Maja off the mark

Josh Maja has finally scored his first goal for Ligue 1 side Bordeaux after moving to the French club back in the January transfer window.

Maja started against Nimes and opened the scoring with a typically well taken goal after just 13 minutes but Bordeaux’s lead lasted just three minutes before Teji Savanier equalised from the spot.

Maja had to be substituted half-way through the game due to injury and Nimes went on to win 2-1 when their captain Renaud Ripart headed home a Savanier corner.

Hendry expects Ross stay

Jack Ross has been mooted as a possible candidate for the vacant Scotland job since Alex McLeish was sacked last week but a former Scotland captain thinks he will stay put.

Speaking to the Times, Colin Hendry discussed what his country should be looking for and although he believes Steve Clarke, Alex Neil and Sunderland’s Ross fit the profile of a young, active manager who are performing right now, he does not believe any of the three would give up their club career just yet:

When I think of Steve Clarke, I think of Sean Dyche. I say this through gritted teeth, because Sean was an enemy of mine on the pitch. But look at the job he has done at Burnley. A while back Sean was the favourite to get the Aston Villa job, but he turned it down. Steve Bruce went there and was then chewed up and spat out. Sean, had he gone, could have ruined everything. Instead, he stayed at Burnley and built up everything that he has around him. So Steve Clarke might have a similar decision to make about his career.

Alex Neil has just re-committed to Preston North End.

As for Jack Ross at Sunderland, that club is a sleeping giant. Whoever takes Sunderland back to the Premier League will be in a great position, and with money to spend, when they get there. So I doubt he’d leave.