Sunderland are being linked with a new managerial target, after rumours linking Will Still with the job died down.
Reims boss Still looked like the clear front-runner to replace Tony Mowbray at Sunderland before Fabrizio Romano revealed otherwise last night.
Romano said that Sunderland now have another no.1 target and Alan Nixon has seemingly revealed that person to be IF Elfsborg boss Jimmy Thelin.
The 45-year-old Swedish coach has just guided Elfsborg to an impressive 2nd place finish in the Allsvenskan, losing out on the title to Malmo on goal difference.
It’s said that he’s held talks with the Sunderland hierarchy and that he could watch the game vs Bristol City this weekend.
And it’s now been reported that he’s in fact open to taking on the Sunderland job.
Jimmy Thelin open to Sunderland job
Reports coming out of Sweden (via Sport Witness) say Thelin is ‘up for’ taking on the Sunderland job after holding talks with the club.
Thelin though is also being tipped to become the next Swedish national side boss and it’s being claimed that he’s also held talks with the Swedish FA regarding that potential job.
Thelin to Sunderland not cut and dried just yet
Thelin’s name was only linked with Sunderland on Thursday evening, but already it seems like he’s become a leading candidate to take on the job; if not the leading candidate.
Still rumours have quietened down whilst other names like Julien Sable and Kieran McKenna have gone almost silent in the rumour mill.
So it certainly seems like a two-horse race between Still and Thelin, though with Still’s Reims side still midway through the season and Thelin rumours now heating up, it seems like the latter is moving ahead in the race for the Stadium of Light vacancy.
And this latest update on Thelin’s stance on potentially taking the Sunderland job is good news for Sunderland, especially given the fact that he’s also held talks over potentially taking the Sweden job.
It’d be a big step up for Thelin who, at 45 years old, may be keen on further challenging himself in club football before considering a step into national management.
Mike Dodds is set to oversee the game vs Bristol City this weekend. But he looks set to leave the club in good shape for whoever the next boss is.
Kick off is at 3pm tomorrow and another win could move the Black Cats ahead of West Brom in 5th.