Sam Allardyce could be set for a shock return to management with former club Sunderland, if a prospective takeover comes to fruition.

A Chinese consortium are believed to be bidding to buy the club and are desperate to reinstate the former England boss, should they win control.

Current manager David Moyes is under increasing pressure after failing to deliver a single Premier League win this season, with the Black Cats rooted to the bottom of the table after taking just two points from eight games so far.

The club’s current owner Ellis Short is desperate to avoid another mid-season managerial change but knows results have to improve if he is to keep faith in Moyes.

Short brought in former boss Allardyce in October of last season and the ex-Blackburn, Newcastle and West Ham boss led the club to safety before leaving in the summer to take over from Roy Hodgson.

However, Short is still thought to be eager to keep Moyes in charge as long as he is chairman after the former Manchester United boss received the backing of the board from chief executive Martin Bain.

He said: “It’s been a difficult and turbulent start.

Moyes has lost six of his eight league games this season (Getty Images)

“From a footballing perspective, we are not where we want to be.

“But David understands the job he has come to do, and I have come to do, is to build and almost rebuild.”

Allardyce left his role as England boss last month after just a single game in charge following an undercover newspaper sting in which he was allegedly filmed giving advice on how to get around the FA’s strict transfer policy.