Sunderland owner Ellis Short has reportedly slashed his asking price for the club.
The American businessman has been looking for a way out of the Stadium of Light for the past two years but talks with two parties in the summer broke down.
With the Mackems now struggling in the Championship dropzone, Short has decided to drop his asking price for the club to £57m, according to HITC.
A separate report by the Northern Echo, meanwhile, claims that Short is hoping to reduce Sunderland's current debt level further by listening to January offers for Lamine Kone, Jack Rodwell and Didier Ndong should the club not have been sold by the New Year.
Sunderland, currently 23rd in the Championship table, host Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.