Sunderland’s talks to make Will Still their new head coach are all but over.
The Belgian had gone as far as to look into where he could live in the North East at one point, but he has concerns over investment and the make-up of staff.
The 31-year-old also spoke to Norwich but neither move has gone ahead for Still after the Canaries appointed Johannes Hoff Thorup earlier this week.
Still left French side Stade de Reims in May after finishing ninth in Ligue 1. He has previously said he wants to manage in England and would “love” to work in the Premier League.
He has had an unorthodox route into management, working first as a video analyst in the Belgian leagues before taking over as boss at Beerschot VA. He then succeeded Oscar Garcia at Stade de Reims in 2023, having been his assistant.
Sunderland, meanwhile, remain without a head coach more than three months on from Michael Beale’s exit in February.
Bayern Munich U19s boss Rene Maric is thought to be admired by the Championship side.
But Sky in Germany understands new Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany plans to make the Austrian an assistant in his backroom staff.
The ex-Burnley boss thinks very highly of the 31-year-old and the details of his promotion are currently being discussed within the club.
Still: The Championship rivals the world’s top leagues
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Still told Sky Sports he would ‘love’ to manage in the Premier League one day
When Still spoke to Sky Sports in March 2023, he revealed that he would ‘love’ to be a Premier League manager and highlighted then Burnley manager and now Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany, who first tested himself in the EFL.
Still told Sky Sports: “I think if you asked any kid what they would like to do, they’d say they’d love to be a Premier League footballer or manager and I’m no different. I was brought up like everyone else and had the same dreams. I’ll keep at them.
“If it happens one day I’ll deserve it, or I hope I will have deserved it, but I realise how much work there is to do before I get there and how much I’ve got to learn. For now, I will stick it to one side.
“Vincent Kompany was at Anderlecht last year and has gone into the Championship and has done an unbelievable job. I think the Championship rivals many of the top leagues in the world.
“All the doors are open. I’m not closing anything at any time.”