The Black Cats are reportedly close to a deal for French manager Regis Le Bris
Sunderland are apparently in early talks with French manager Regis Le Bris about becoming the club’s next head coach. Le Bris is now the manager of French club FC Lorient, which was demoted from Ligue 1 this season, and the 48-year-old is on the verge of leaving for Wearside.
According to reports, Sunderland is attempting to resolve any outstanding issues with Lorient about Le Bris’ contract. The Frenchman was thought to be on a five-man shortlist put together by the management following Michael Beale’s dismissal in February. The process of hiring a head coach has been protracted, and the fact that Le Bris lacks a work visa to work in the UK has further slowed any confirmation.
Le Bris is presently the leading candidate for the position, and Sunderland will want to act fast given that players will return for pre-season in a matter of days, as well as to allay supporters’ concerns about the more than four-month wait for a permanent successor to Beale.
Le Bris took over FC Lorient in his senior managing debut in June 2022, guiding the club to an outstanding 10th-place finish in Ligue 1, with the orange-and-blacks reaching second place at one point, trailing only Paris St Germain.
Last season, however, Lorient was demoted from Ligue 1 after placing second last – but there are mitigating factors, since the club sold many of its finest players the summer before.
Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus declared two weeks ago that the next head coach appointment was “imminent,” and now that a fortnight has passed, the club will be trying to sign and lock Le Bris on Wearside in the coming days ahead of a crucial transfer window and pre-season.
