Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn is being head-hunted by Manchester City.

The Daily Express says Quinn is a shock contender to take over as Manchester City's new chief executive.

It's believed that City, searching for a successor to Garry Cook who resigned over an alleged unsavoury email, are aware of uncertainty over their former striker's future at the Stadium of Light.

Relations between Quinn and American owner Ellis Short have become strained over the past months with Short bringing in two of his own men from the USA to enable a more hands-on approach from the other side of the Atlantic.

Friends say that Quinn has become frustrated believing he has become the whipping boy for any Sunderland problems.