Sunderland now look set to miss out on one of their managerial targets.
That’s according to Sportbladet, who have reported that Kim Hellberg is set to be appointed as head coach at Hammarby.
Sunderland have been on the hunt for a new manager since they sacked Tony Mowbray nine days ago and have been linked with a number of names across both the EFL and Europe.
One of their main targets seemed to be Kim Hellberg, who was reportedly interviewed for the vacancy by Kyril Louis-Dreyfus last week.
The 35-year-old began his coaching career 12 years ago and hasn’t left his native Sweden since, winning four promotions with three different clubs.
Hellberg took charge of IFK Varnamo in January 2022 and led them to 10th place in their first season in Allsvenskan, before finishing fifth last term. His assistant coach claimed him to be the ‘brightest football mind’ he has ever come across.
The Swede confirmed he would be leaving the club at the end of the most recent campaign and it had looked like a high possibility that he could move to Wearside after holding talks with the club.
However, the report claims that he will instead be appointed Hammarby coach, replacing Marti Cifuentes, who has just joined QPR. He is expected to join his new club within the next week.
That leaves Sunderland with one less option to replace Tony Mowbray, though it now looks like they could be going in full throttle for Will Still.
Louis-Dreyfus has reportedly already held ‘positive talks’ with the 31-year-old, while it is believed that the Reims manager could be open to moving to the Championship.
How long can we wait for a new manager?
Sunderland definitely seem to be taking their time in appointing the right manager, which thankfully, isn’t to the fans’ anger.
The Sunderland faithful can’t forget Lee Johnson’s sacking, when it took us almost two weeks to find a replacement and we lost to both Doncaster Rovers and Cheltenham Town in the mean-time.
Funnily enough, it is the then-interim manager that is keeping us afloat this time. Mike Dodds has claimed two brilliant wins over West Brom and Leeds United, and it is making the wait for a new head coach a lot more bearable.
But still, I would much prefer to find a new manager sooner rather than later. Especially with the January transfer window approaching – we need the club’s full focus to be on signing new players by then, rather than still searching for the right man to take the hot seat.