The chances of Sunderland hiring Will Still as their next manager have now been rated by French football expert Jonathan Johnson.
Sunderland are on the hunt for their next manager and look set to make one in the coming weeks following the conclusion of the 2023/24 season.
The Black Cats’ campaign ended with a 2-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday at the Stadium of Light, with the defeat all but ruling out a potential summer swoop for Owls boss Danny Rohl.
But since then, long-term target Still has left Reims, and Liam Rosenior has also left Hull City, with Marco Gabbiadini tipping the former Derby County boss to be a good fit for Sunderland.
It’s Still though who still seems like the front-runner, and now his chances of becoming the next Sunderland manager have been rated.
Sunderland chances of appointing Will Still as next manager
Speaking to Sunderland Echo, French football expert Johnson has given his verdict on Still’s Reims exit and the probability of him heading to Sunderland this summer.
He said: “It would not surprise me if it was revisited but Still will likely have quite a few suitors.
“I think that he will be frustrated that West Ham United are unlikely to be one of those clubs but there are some potentially interesting landing spots for him and he will undoubtedly feel happy that he potentially has a full pre-season ahead of him – assuming he does get a new gig immediately.
“Sunderland will need to present him with an attractive project, but I stand by what I said earlier about the makeup of the squad being a good blend for him given some of the French speakers currently on the books.”
The main challenge facing Will Still amid Sunderland rumours
Still certainly seems like a favoured name with Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, with a lot of supporters fancying Still as the club’s next manager too.
But as we’ve already seen with Rosenior’s Hull City exit and immediate (albeit online) speculation linking him with the Sunderland job, Still isn’t in the clear.
Sunderland are still biding their time and it makes sense; this time of year is when a lot of teams chop and change managers and so new candidates will become available.
Whether or not Rosenior is someone of interest remains to be seen. But on paper, it makes sense, and he has that all-important Championship experience that Still doesn’t.
Still may be praying that no other suitable managers come onto the market in the next few weeks and that he’s in the clear to take the Sunderland job.
Like Johnson says, though, Sunderland does seem like a good fit for Still given his age and his language skills, and he is a long-term target for the club who is now a free agent too.
It could be a matter of time before Still is hired at Sunderland.