Finance expert Kieran Maguire has been critical of some news that he has now heard from Sunderland.

The Lowdown: Takeover talks

As shared by The Athletic, cryptocurrency firm The Fans Together (TFT) are now in talks with Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven over the possibility of buying their 39% stake in the Stadium of Light.

Both shareholders have been actively seeking buyers since February, and TFT are proposing to offer supporters a direct route to dictate club policy through a cryptocurrency token voting mechanism.

The Latest: Maguire reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire - who also contributes for Sky Sports - has claimed that talk of a takeover from TFT is 'embarrassing', and that what they claim to be offering is 'nonsense'.

He stated: “I think this is embarrassing. But then Donald and Methven have been an embarrassment for Sunderland and the fanbase literally since the first day they walked into the club.

“They are the Stan and Ollie of football club owners. They provide huge amounts of mirth for fans of other clubs much to the shame of Sunderland themselves.

“The way that this crypto organisation is talking about giving access to fan ownership is complete nonsense. All they are trying to do is sell their product and services and give an illusion of benefits to fans.

“The Roker Report is very pithy in its analysis, and I echo everything they say. Sunderland should represent the people of Sunderland. The Fans Together are about as far away from that as possible.”

The Verdict: Difficult position

Sunderland find themselves in a difficult position, as both Donald and Methven are willing to sell up their shares, and there is a willing buyer on the table.

As Maguire claims, the duo have been an 'embarrassment' in terms of their ownership, as the Black Cats struggled to get out of League One until last season, to the point where they do not seem connected to the club at all anymore.

However, a takeover from a cryptocurrency group would probably not go down well in the eyes of many supporters, so there is now a fine balance in terms of the ownership of the Wearside club.

In other news, find out which Sunderland ace is now attracting 'interest'