Sunderland are chasing a deal for out-of-work manager Liam Rosenior.
Former Hull City manager Liam Rosenior looks like the clear front-runner to become the next Sunderland manager as things stand.
If he arrives at the Stadium of Light, he’ll bring an end to a managerial search that’s steadily approaching the four-month mark.
Sunderland sacked Michael Beale in February, placing the unsuccessful Mike Dodds in charge until the end of the campaign.
Several names have been linked with the Sunderland job, and many have gone on to other jobs; Bo Svensson and Will Still are among those, whilst names like Danny Rohl signed a new Sheffield Wednesday contract.
Owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus may yet be pipped to Rosenior too; Burnley are said to have Rosenior among their final candidates following their relegation to the Championship last season.
Burnley are set to conduct managerial interviews this week but are said to be in no immediate rush to hire their next manager, with Frank Lampard also among the front-runners.
Sunderland then could be forced to wait for Rosenior, or worse yet, they could miss out on him. That then might mean Paul Heckingbottom quickly coming back into contention.
Sunderland linked with Paul Heckingbottom
Earlier this year, Sunderland were strongly linked with former Sheffield United and Leeds United manager Paul Hevkignbottom.
The 46-year-old is out of work after leaving Sheffield United during the 2023/24 campaign, and was said to be Sunderland’s no.1 manager target in March.
It was claimed that Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman were both fans of Heckingbottom after he guided the Blades to promotion from the Championship in 2023.
His links to the Sunderland job have gone cold somewhat; most recently, Heckingbottom was linked with the Plymouth Argyle job, which Wayne Rooney has since landed.
Heckingbottom is one of the very few names liked by Sunderland and still on the market.
Could Sunderland hire Paul Heckingbottom if Liam Rosenior goes to Burnley
What Rosenior’s preferences are for his next job remains to be seen. But it may be difficult to see him opting for Sunderland over Burnley, if the latter offer him the job.
The Clarets played a very similar style under Vincent Kompany to what Rosenior did at Hull City, and coming down from the Premier League, there’ll no doubt be more resources available to him.
The current Burnley side is already one brimming with talent as well and it could offer Rosenior a much quicker route to managing in the Premier League than Sunderland.
So emerging Burnley interest is certainly a worry for Sunderland who clearly like Rosenior. After missing out on so many managers as well, with fans becoming restless, Sunderland may really push the boat out for Rosenior.
Heckingbottom may be the most logical back-up plan for Sunderland is Rosenior doesn’t become the next manager, though.
He was previously heavily linked with the job and is clearly someone who Louis-Dreyfus and Speakman have done their homework on.
He may not be their first-choice, but Sunderland have already missed out on their first-choice in Still, so any appointment they make now is a compromise.
Heckingbottom though remains a steady pair of hands and an experienced boss at Championship level, and he could yet have a Tony Mowbray-like impact at the Stadium of Light.