Sunderland are now in talks to appoint Lorient manager Regis Le Bris.
Sunderland are reportedly in talks to make Lorient manager Regis Le Bris their next manager.
The news was revealed on Thursday following more than four months without a manager in place at the Stadium of Light.
Le Bris, 48, is reportedly set to leave Lorient following their relegation from Ligue 1 last season, with Le Bris currently boasting a win rate of 30.26% after two seasons.
The news has received mixed reviews from Sunderland fans online; some are unimpressed by his record and his lack of experience, with Lorient being his only job, whilst others are ready to give him his chance.
Le Bris looks set to become the next Sunderland manager, though the likes of Rene Maric remain in contention, and Bayern Munich’s appointment of Aaron Danks as an assistant coach could spell uncertainty for Maric.
Regis Le Bris timeframe to become next Sunderland manager
Le Bris is still technically in charge of Lorient, though he’s widely expected to be on the brink of leaving the club.
That would make him a free agent, and Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie says that Sunderland are hoping to hire Le Bris ‘over the weekend’.
Downie also adds that Le Bris was initially on Sunderland’s shortlist when the club sacked Beale in February, and that his seemingly imminent arrival at the Stadium of Light has been delayed due to work permit issues.
What next for Sunderland after Regis Le Bris appointment
Le Bris now looks like the clear front-runner; Sunderland are simply waiting on Lorient to announce his departure, and then formalising the deal.
Should he arrive then, which looks likely, Sunderland will have to get straight to work in the transfer market.
It appears as though sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has still been working on transfers given the recent arrival of Simon Moore.
Expect Speakman to have other targets in the market and expect the arrival of a new head coach to speed up potential transfer talks and pursuits.
Le Bris arriving will also give us clarity over the futures of players like Chris Rigg, Dan Neil and more, so we could see a lot of movement at Sunderland in the next few weeks.
First thing first, though, Sunderland need to hire a manager, with Le Bris looking like he could replace Beale this weekend.