One of the Sunderland manager targets is not thought to be a strong contender for the job.
Sunderland have a few names being linked with the manager job, with the Black Cats now eyeing up their third permanent boss since the start of the 2023/24 season.
The list of names tipped to replace Michael Beale this summer seems to be shortening, with Will Still looking like the logical front-runner given his long-term links to the club and also his Reims exit at the start of May.
Danny Rohl is another name who’s heavily linked. The Sheffield Wednesday manager showed Sunderland exactly what they’re missing after beating the Black Cats 2-0 on the final day of the season, though there’s growing suggestions that he’ll be staying in South Yorkshire.
Another name linked is Rene Maric. The 31-year-old Austrian coach is currently in charge of Bayern Munich’s U19s side and was previously reported to be a strong contender for the Sunderland job, but fresh reports now say otherwise.
Rene Maric to Sunderland latest
An emerging report from Sunderland Echo has detailed the latest on Maric and where he stands in the race to become the next Sunderland manager.
Phil Smith writes that Maric ‘has previously been a strong contender’ for the job and that he’s ‘highly-thought of’, but he has not ’emerged as a significant contender this time around’.
So it seems like Maric is someone who’s been on Sunderland’s radar for some time, likely when the club sacked Tony Mowbray at the end of 2023.
But this time round, there seems to be other names, such as Still, who are more preferred by the Sunderland board.
Rene Maric update means one thing at Sunderland
If it wasn’t obvious already, then this latest Maric update surely clarifies that Still seems like the clear front-runner for the Sunderland job right now.
His Reims exit is perfect timing and somewhat coincidental, given what’s been about six months of links between Still and Sunderland, and with the compensation fee previously being a huge sticking point for Sunderland.
Sunderland though are still taking a few more weeks before deciding on their next manager, likely so that Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus can see if anyone else becomes available.
Names like Liam Rosenior for example. He left Hull City on Tuesday and social media speculation immediately and inevitably linked him with the Sunderland job, though fans have mixed feelings about Rosenior heading to the Stadium of Light.
So a managerial appointment doesn’t seem close, but it looks like Sunderland are certainly whittling down their options, with Still still standing strong.