Sunderland’s managerial target Will Still has broken his silence on rumours linking him with a move to the club.
Sunderland are without a manager since sacking Tony Mowbray last week and several names have since been thrown into the hat to succeed the veteran.
One of those is Reims boss Will Still, who has emerged as a front-runner to take over at the Stadium of Light.
It appears that a move for the 31-year-old is gathering momentum as it was reported in the national media yesterday that owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has held talks positive with Still about the possibility of him joining the Championship club.
And now the young coach has spoken to the French media, responding to the rumours linking him with the managerial post.
What did Will Still say about Sunderland managerial rumours?
As relayed by Sport Witness, there is complication over Still’s future at the French side amid interest from the Black Cats.
Still has claimed he doesn’t want to depart Reims, however, he has also offered his services to Sunderland.
Whilst the Ligue 1 side have dismissed the possibility of that move, the young coach has poured cold water on those stories by urging people to take what they hear with a pinch of salt.
He said: “You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the press.”
Given the ambiguity surrounding the situation, Still needs to decide whether he wants to remain at his current club or take on the project potentially awaiting him at Sunderland.
Nonetheless, the Championship side are taking their time and assessing every single candidate, instead of jumping in at the deep end.
It’s an important period for the club as they attempt to hire a coach who can guide them into the Premier League.
Would Will Still be a good appointment?
After being appointed Reims coach last year, Still has taken the managerial world by storm.
He orchestrated a 17-match unbeaten run last season which saw him guide Reims to an 11th place finish.
And is now threatening to lead them into the Champions League. They are currently four points behind fourth-place Lille.
Still has been highly rated by the Sunderland chairman and would be an excellent appointment if he can pull it off.
Despite not boasting the experience of managing a team in England, he’s excellent at bringing the best out of young players having worked with a squad that boasts an average age of 24.7 this term.
He also deploys an energetic press and a fluid attacking style which aligns perfectly with Sunderland’s long-term vision.
If he were to jump ship and potentially swap the Champions League with the Championship, it would be some statement of intent from Still and the North East giants.