Just as it did with their north-east rivals Newcastle, Sunderland's takeover is beginning to have an element of spice added to it.
Stewart Donald has reached for the cupboard and pulled out a juicy red hot jalapeno to engulf a city where anguish and despair often encase its historic football club.
Last week, it was reported by The Guardian that Donald had agreed a deal with Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus which is now thought to be in the region of somewhere just over £20m.
After a period of due diligence and intense negotiations, it's thought that Donald will keep 15% of the business while Charlie Methven will have 5%. However, it will be Sartori and Dreyfus that have the utmost control over proceedings at the Stadium of Light.
It's understood that after a two week period of thinking, Donald agreed to the offer and everything could now be wrapped up in the next few weeks.
The duo will have to pass the Owners' and Directors' test set out by the EFL but a brand new obstacle has emerged in their pursuit of Sunderland.
That's because they're facing a late rival.
Over the summer it was reported that Rich Energy owner William Storey was interested in buying Sunderland and now it appears as though he could be close to wrapping something up with Donald.
He took to Twitter this week to claim the idea of Sartori and Dreyfus taking over was "nonsense"
Storey also suggested that his bid to take control of the football club was reaching its conclusion.
The businessman said on social media: "It is absolutely on. And at the very end of process. Beyond that you will have to wait for official news."
Very interesting words indeed.
GIVEMESPORT'S Matt Dawson says...
When is life ever simple at Sunderland?
It's incredibly surprising to hear Storey brand the other bid as nonsense and thus, we are left in limbo over the potential situation in the north-east.
Are Sartori and Dreyfus really on the verge of a takeover or is it the Rich Energy owner who is actually closer to sealing a deal with Donald?
Either way, it's unlikely we'll be offered too much clarity anytime soon.
Storey entered the headlines a few years ago when he took control of the Haas Formula 1 team. However, because of underperformance and an internal dispute with minority shareholders, he withdrew his funding and left.
That doesn't bode particularly well for Sunderland, but of course, football is a whole different game to F1. If he does take ownership of the Black Cats, he'll have to satisfy not just a team, but a whole city.
That is an enormous challenge.