Sunderland are in talks with Reims coach Will Still in an attempt to persuade the highly rated 31-year-old to quit the Ligue 1 club and take charge of the EFL Championship team, sources have told ESPN.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, the Sunderland owner, has identified Still as his favoured option to replace Tony Mowbray, who vacated his post at the Stadium of Light earlier this month.
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At 25, Dreyfus is the youngest owner in English football and sources have said that the French businessman wants to appoint a young coach who fits his blueprint of building a team of emerging talent at Sunderland, who had just three outfield players over the age of 23 in the starting line-up during Tuesday's 1-0 home win against Leeds.
Still, born in Belgium to English parents, guided Reims to an 11th place finish in Ligue 1 last season following an 17-match unbeaten start to at the club and the team are eighth in the table.
Sunderland, who face local rivals Newcastle at home in the FA Cup third round on Jan. 6, have moved into the Championship playoff spots following back-to-back wins against West Brom and Leeds. And sources have said the club are prepared to leave caretaker manager Mike Dodds in charge over the Christmas period in order to take time to hire the right coach.
And although sources have said that Dreyfus is also an admirer of Nice assistant manager Julien Sable, Still is the first choice to replace Mowbray as manager.