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.

Sunderland's prospective new German owners want Jurgen Klinsmann to be the next manager

The ambitious group are currently locked in talks with current Sunderland owner Ellis Short

Sunderland 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.

He also boasts a World Cup winner's medal as a player with West Germany in 1990, and is credited with leading another revolution in German football as manager of their 2006 World Cup semi-final side which played in a more attacking manner than their predecessors.

Klinsmann has not had a manager's job since he was sacked as manager of the USA national team last November and while the chances of persuading him to swap southern California for the north-east of England doesn't sound promising, he is a confirmed Anglophile who is also keen to re-establish himself as a football manager.

Klinsmann is a recognisable figure who won over the English public during two spells at Spurs

Sunderland had upset the odds to escape relegation in recent seasons under Diego Poyet, Dick Advocaat and Sam Alardyce, but their luck ran out earlier this year when they went down under Moyes. He subsequently left the club with £30million goalkeeper Jordan Pickford exiting shortly afterwards to join Everton.

In the background, Short's attempts to sell the club have become more serious. Fans' consortium Fulwell73 pulled out of negotiations last week leaving their unnamed German rivals with a clear run at completing a takeover.

Sunderland are due to return to pre-season training on Thursday and Short will try to have his business concluded before the end of the week.

If he can't sell the club, Preston North End manager Simon Grayson is favourite to succeed Moyes, but German owners are likely to want their own man and if they can't get Klinsmann, Union Berlin manager Jens Keller is a possibility.