A manager linked with Sunderland this summer is now thought to be the front-runner for a Championship job.
Sunderland are really biding their time in appointing a new manager, with the Black Cats having technically been managerless for more than three months now.
Fans are waiting patiently and eagerly to find out who will replace Michael Beale. But so far, supporters have very little to get excited about.
There’s names coming in and out of contention but right now it seems like more and more names are falling out of contention.
Bo Svensson is a recent example; he’s been linked with the Sunderland job and it looked as though he may have moved up the pecking order after missing out on the Red Bull Salzburg job.
But the Danish coach is now thought to be admired by Bundesliga side Union Berlin, and so it may be that Sunderland have missed their chance to hire Svensson.
Another name linked with Sunderland this summer is now tipped to take charge of another club.
Paul Heckingbottom becomes Plymouth Argyle front-runner
An emerging report from PlymouthLive has revealed that Sunderland manager candidate Paul Heckingbottom is the front-runner to land the Plymouth Argyle job.
Heckingbottom was at one point thought to be Sunderland’s no.1 target this summer, though it seems like he’s steadily fallen out of contention.
The 46-year-old former Sheffield United and Leeds United manager guided the Blades to promotion from the Championship in 2023 but was sacked midway through last season.
John Percy recently revealed that Heckingbottom was set to be interviewed by Plymouth Argyle, who were turned down by Liam Rosenior previously.
Who is the current front-runner to become next Sunderland manager
Right now, it seems like Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is keeping talks of who he’ll hire as the next Sunderland manager very much under wraps.
A front-runner would be purely speculative, but given this latest update on Heckingbottom, and the previous news regarding Svensson and Union Berlin, it all points to Will Still.
The now-available 31-year-old has been a long-term target for Sunderland and why the club is yet to pull the trigger on a deal for the former Reims boss remains to be seen.
It may be that Louis-Dreyfus has had a change of heart; Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot recently discussed Still’s fallout at the club, saying that he was ‘lost in his communications’ also suggesting that he lacked the experience to handle a top job.
And that alone may be a deterrent for Louis-Dreyfus who’ll still be reeling from Beale’s fallout; of which, a lack of communication was key to his downfall.
Either way, though, it looks like Sunderland may miss out Heckingbottom, who’s certainly a tried and tested option for Championship clubs.