DAVID MOYES will sit down with Sunderland’s owner Ellis Short within 48 hours of the final whistle being blown on the club’s ten-year stay in the Premier League this Sunday.

The Black Cats boss, whose side travel to Arsenal tonight, is keen to hear assurances from Short that he will be given the backing in the transfer market to make the changes required to lead a promotion charge.

Moyes has already had initial talks with Short, when the manager outlined what he thinks is required to bring brighter times back to the club.

But with Short’s desire to sell still strong, many fear the uncertainty could hinder any rebuild programme that Moyes (or whoever else) looks to carry through.

In the immediate aftermath of Middlesbrough’s final home game against Southampton on Saturday, Boro chairman Steve Gibson claimed he wants to “smash” the Championship next season.

Moyes was asked if he felt Short shared the ambition.

He said: “I do. Ellis does. He is desperate for his club to win. He wants the club to be successful. He obviously doesn’t want it to be where it is. He wants to find a way of getting Sunderland back up.”

But Short has looked to sell and the belief is he would still do that if the right offer came along, even though he has not spoken to the media about his intentions.

Moyes said: “I can’t talk regarding sales or anything like that. I can only tell you about what I know about the owner. He really cares about the club and he wants the club to do well.

“If anything, he wants the club to win every game. To do with the sale, I really don’t know much more about that.”

Moyes still has three more years on his contract but came under further fire from supporters during Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Swansea. He is now looking for his players to end the season on a high at Arsenal tonight and at Chelsea on Sunday.

He said: “Nothing has changed about my future. I’m repeating myself, I’ve laid out the plans and what I would like, what I think it needs and we will see about it next week.

“I need to wait until Monday or Tuesday, he knows exactly what I think it should look like. There are obviously teams not too far from here we can look to see what happens to get back and you can also look at other ways teams have done it. I’ve tried to put a few scenarios to him of how it can be done.

“I wouldn’t necessarily want it (guarantees) in writing from him, normally when I shake somebody’s hand I trust them and when I speak to them I trust them, that’s the way I work, I don’t need it written on paper, I just need to shake their hand.”