Alan Nixon has shared an update on Sunderland and their interest in QPR manager Marti Cifuentes.
Marti Cifuentes, 41, took charge of QPR in October 2023, eventually steering the R’s to an impressive 18th place finish in the Championship.
QPR looked dead and buried under Gareth Ainsworth. But Cifuentes transformed the team and eventually finished on level points with Sunderland in 16th.
Mike Dodds was named interim manager at the Stadium of Light after Michael Beale’s departure in February.
Now more than four months since the club sacked Beale, the Black Cats are still without a manager, with Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman under intense pressure from fans.
Cifuentes is one of the few remaining names in contention after Sunderland missed out on long-term target Will Still, with Liam Rosenior then pulling out of contention.
Former Hammarby boss Cifuentes would require a six-figure compensation fee, but it looks like Louis-Dreyfus and co have now moved on to other targets.
Latest on Sunderland pursuit of QPR manager Marti Cifuentes
Alan Nixon initially revealed that Sunderland were keen on Cifuentes, with the news sparking debate among Sunderland and QPR fans alike.
The Black Cats faithful are desperate for their club to finally hire a manager and deem Cifuentes to be a good fit after his impressive QPR showing last season.
QPR fans meanwhile are desperate for Cifuentes to stay, and it looks as though that might be the case with Nixon suggesting on X that Sunderland have ‘moved on’ from their interest in Cifuentes.
Sunderland now have clear front-runner for manager job
Nixon’s latest update comes after news that Sunderland are in advanced talks to appoint current Lorient boss Regis Le Bris.
Le Bris, 48, looks set to leave Lorient and so Nixon’s above post on X may be referring to Le Bris, as he’d be a free agent upon leaving Lorient.
All of this will come as good news to QPR fans. It may also be a sigh of relief for Louis-Dreyfus that Le Bris is leaving Lorient.
If Sunderland’s manager search had rumbled on for much longer then Louis-Dreyfus may have been forced to dip into his pockets and pay for Cifuentes.
But Le Bris fits the financial structure at the Stadium of Light. Should he arrive, he’ll have a huge task ahead of him this summer, with Sunderland needing to add quality and experience to their ranks after a poor 2023/24 campaign.