It has been a torrid start to the season for Sunderland.

The League 1 side, who have just not been able to get going, are languishing down in tenth place with just seven wins from their 19 games so far.

Manager Phil Parkinson was given the sack in November with Lee Johnson coming in as his replacement.

Under Johnson, results haven't exactly improved, but only one loss in seven games does prove there are some promising signs.

However, Sunderland fans will be more excited by the potential takeover of the club by 23-year-old Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.

Who is Kyril Louis-Dreyfus?

Louis-Dreyfus is the son of the the late Swiss-French businessman, Robert Louis-Dreyfus.

Robert was the CEO at Adidas as well as the majority shareholder at Olympique Lyonnaise.

What is Kyril Louis-Dreyfus' net worth?

Louis-Dreyfus' worth is not clear, but he is known to have inherited a third of his father's vast fortune.

Kyril is believed to have a trust fund, governed by his mother, worth £2 billion.

His mother, on the other hand, is said to be the richest Russian woman on the planet, boasting a net worth of $5.6 billion. 

In other words, Kyril has deep pockets.

What has he said?

In a statement released via Sunderland on Christmas Eve, Louis-Dreyfus said:

“First, I would like to thank Stewart Donald for his integrity and reasonableness over the last three months, which has led to me having the opportunity to take a controlling stake in Sunderland AFC.

"I am fully aware of the efforts undertaken by the current ownership and Board to protect the viability of the Club and respect the difficulty of this task, given Sunderland’s recent past and the current economic climate.

“We respectfully await the EFL’s approval for this transaction. Nonetheless it would be remiss of me at this stage not to emphasise what an enormous honour it would be for me to become involved with such a historic club, in a city renowned for its rich football culture going back to 1879.

"Many will be aware of my family connections to the industry and, in acquiring Sunderland AFC, I understand the responsibility that’s placed upon me as the custodian of the club’s future."