Sunderland will conduct talks about their managerial position today.
According to the Swedish newspaper Sportbladet, Kim Hellberg is scheduled to travel to England for talks.
Sunderland fired Tony Mowbray earlier this week following only two victories in nine games, dropping the club to ninth in the Championship table.
The 60-year-old had already led the Black Cats to the play-offs in their first season back in the second division, but his prior success wasn’t enough for the club to extend his contract.
Sunderland, on the other hand, had no replacement lined up and had previously been associated with a large list of names from throughout Europe.
However, Kim Hellberg appears to be one of the first possibilities they will consider.
According to the story, the 35-year-old will meet with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus within the following 24 hours, shortly after Hellberg stated his intention to leave his current club.
The former midfielder has spent his entire career in Sweden, commencing as a manager with Kimstaf GolF at the age of 23.
Hellberg gained promotion four times with three different clubs before joining top-tier IFK Varnamo last year.
Hellberg led the Swedish club to fifth place in Allsvenskan last season before announcing his departure for a new challenge.
He was already being considered to replace QPR’s new manager Marti Cifuentes at Hammarby, but could now be enticed by a move to the Stadium of Light instead.
Is Kim Hellberg the right man for the job?
Kim Hellberg is 35 years old, yet he has been in management for 12 years, rising through the levels of Swedish football.
The coach has never left his own country, which could be a concern, but remember that Graham Potter achieved his promotion to the Championship after seven years with Ostersund.
According to reports, Hellberg prefers his teams to dominate possession with high intensity and plenty of breadth, which may definitely suit Sunderland.
Varnamo, on the other hand, only scored 37 goals in 30 games last season, the second-lowest total in the top half of the standings. They also gave up 34 points, which was the third fewest.
While we can’t rule out an unknown coach, it will be difficult not to be dissatisfied if we don’t go all out to acquire someone like Will Still. He’s done an excellent job in Reims, and his ability to switch between French and English would be really useful.
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