Key Reims figure responds to Will Still to Sunderland speculation | OneFootball

Reims sporting director Mathieu Lacour has claimed uncertainty over Will Still’s future has not created any internal drama at the club.

The Ligue 1 side are currently competing for qualification for Europe for next season, which has caught the attention of the likes of Sunderland in their search for a new head coach.

It has been reported that the 31-year-old is their preferred candidate to replace Michael Beale, who was dismissed earlier this week.

Still has claimed that he would like to work in English football, and that a move to the Championship wouldn’t be out of the question.

This has intensified the speculation regarding whether he could take the reins of the first team squad at Sunderland this summer.

Lacour has stressed that there are no issues behind the scenes with Still following his recent comments over his future.

He believes that the club and Still are on the same page when looking ahead to the future of the club, beyond this season.

"There's no internal controversy," said Lacour, via L’Equipe.

“We're a progressive club, both for young players and young coaches. So we'll be very proud if one day Will is able to join the Premier League and coach the club of his dreams, West Ham.

“But our shared history is by no means over. We're looking ahead together, not to the end of the season, but for the medium term.”

The French club’s president Jean-Pierre Caillot also added that Still’s desire to work in England someday is perfectly logical.

“When you're young, it's not illogical to talk about the future," he said.

“To say that he is ambitious and imagines himself coaching a club in England is just an honest message. After that, his message must not be distorted or misunderstood, and that's what he needs to be vigilant about. I've been abroad all my life, and I've worked all my life in an environment that wasn't exactly my own. And I just want to come home."

Michael Beale's Sunderland record

Mike Dodds has been placed in charge of the Black Cats for the remainder of the campaign, as the club searches for Beale’s long-term successor.

The 43-year-old lasted just nine weeks in charge at the Stadium of Light, winning four of his 12 games as head coach.

Dodds will oversee the final 12 games of the season, with the club chasing a play-off place for a second consecutive year, even if it seems a tough ask after the defeat to Swansea.

Still’s future remains in the spotlight

Sunderland’s search for a new head coach isn't likely to conclude anytime soon, so this kind of speculation will persist.

Still would be a very exciting appointment for the club given his track record in the French top flight.

It would be a sign of the Wearside outfit’s ambition, bringing in such a highly-rated young coach.

The appointment of Beale was such a huge misstep, so the next coach that comes through the door at the Stadium of Light needs to be the right one in order to get supporters back on board with the club’s project.