Sunderland journalist and podcaster Philip West has been left thrilled by some ownership news that has emerged from the Stadium of Light.

The Lowdown: Ownership reshuffle

As per the official website of the Wearside club, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has increased his ownership stake to 51%, and Juan Sartori 30%.

In turn, Charlie Methven has sold all of his shares, and Stewart Donald has sold his stake down to 19%.

It was reported that cryptocurrency group The Fans Together (TFT) were 'moving closer' to a takeover deal for the Black Cats, but that bid now looks to have collapsed judging by the latest update.

The Latest: West thrilled

Taking to Twitter, West, who writes for Roker Report, was left thrilled by the news, claiming that it is 'massively positive' for the club:

"Massively positive news today, with Charlie Methven’s departure and the worrying spectre of the TFT group removed from the equation as well. Hopefully we can now ramp up the planning for next season & get ready for the challenges to come!"

The Verdict: Step forward

Methven selling all of his shares and Donald reducing his significantly is certainly a big step forward for SAFC.

Finance expert Kieran Maguire has previously labelled the pair as an 'embarrassment' after the club dropped down to League One and only last season bounced back up, while he also claimed that the TFT bid was 'nonsense' and giving an 'illusion' to the supporters of what they want to hear (Football Insider).

Nonetheless, Alex Neil's side can put all of that behind them now and concentrate on making a good start to life in the Championship.