"I would think..." - Simon Grayson makes Graham Potter claim amid potential Sunderland links | OneFootball

Simon Grayson is sceptical of whether Graham Potter would be willing to take on the Sunderland head coach role.

The former Chelsea manager is currently out of work, having been without a club since being dismissed by the Blues in April of last year.

The 48-year-old was linked with the managerial vacancy back in December when the Black Cats were looking to replace Tony Mowbray.

Instead, Sunderland opted for Michael Beale who has already been dismissed by the Championship side.

Beale’s departure could open the door for an attempt to bring Potter into the club as his replacement.

Grayson claims Potter move is unlikely

Grayson, who managed Sunderland in 2017, has suggested that it will be very difficult to convince Potter to take the step down to the Championship.

While he believes it would be a great appointment, he expects the ex-Chelsea boss to make his return to management with a top-flight club.

“Sunderland is a big attraction for any manager but if I’m being honest, I would think that Graham Potter will want to manage in the Premier League,” said Grayson via Instant Casinos.

“He’s earnt the right to get there and I’m not saying that his ego is too big to drop down to the Premier League or anything like that because I don’t see Graham being like that and Sunderland is a huge, huge football club.

“But I would think there would be many suitors after him in the Premier League.

“If not the Premier League then maybe the top division abroad as well.

“I think he’s in a good position, he’s got high stock and his reputation is high still, even though it didn’t work at Chelsea.

“I think the Premier League is probably where he’ll end up if I’m being honest.

“He would be a great appointment.”

Sunderland league position

Mike Dodds has been placed in charge of the Sunderland first team squad until the end of the campaign, with a successor to Beale expected to arrive in the summer.

It is hoped that the interim boss can guide the team into a top six finish, with the gap to Hull City in sixth currently seven points.

Back-to-back defeats to Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City ended Beale’s reign, which saw Sunderland fall behind in the battle for a play-off place.

Next up for Sunderland is a home game against Swansea City on 24 February.

Graham Potter would be an ambitious appointment

Hiring Potter would be extremely ambitious, and a really positive sign for Sunderland’s attempts to gain Premier League promotion.

It will likely take a lot to convince him to take the step down, as he could wait for a Premier League position if he really wanted to.

While his Chelsea stint didn’t go according to plan, the difficulty of working at Stamford Bridge is clearly something a lot of talented managers have struggled with, so shouldn’t be held against him.

His time at Swansea City and Brighton showed his potential as a coach, so it would be extremely exciting if he were to arrive at the Stadium of Light but Black Cats fan shouldn't hold their breath.