It is a measure of how comprehensively Sunderland have been transformed on the watch of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, their youthful owner, that the club now measure their transfer outlay in euros rather than pounds.

Among the multi-national crop of venture capitalists and sovereign wealth funds that make up Premier League owners in 2025, Louis-Dreyfus is probably one of the less high-profile.

The 28-year-old French businessman is not especially drawn to performative gestures or bold statements but when it comes to setting the tone and creating a culture, few will have had the influence of the Sunderland owner.

A quick example: when it came to trying to persuade Granit Xhaka to swap the Champions League and Bayer Leverkusen for a club recently promoted from the Championship, it was Louis-Dreyfus

See Full Page