Sunderland AFC latest: Will Still in pole position, Jack Clarke transfer update, Marek Papszun wants job | OneFootball

It has been a turbulent 24 hours for Sunderland fans following the sacking of head coach Michael Beale, but they will want attention to quickly turn back to performances on the pitch to maintain their promotion push.

The Black Cats suffered a 2-1 defeat to Birmingham City over the weekend which proved to be the final straw for the 43-year-old, leaving the club after 12 games in charge, which included five defeats in the Championship.

Their latest defeat saw them drop to 10th in the standings, four points off Coventry City in the final play-off spot with 13 games of their season remaining.

Ahead of their home fixture against Swansea City on Saturday afternoon, FLW rounds up the latest news from Wearside.

Sunderland want Will Still to replace Michael Beale, according to reports

The Black Cats are reportedly keen on making Will Still as their next permanent manager, according to a report by HITC.

Sunderland still hold an interest in the 31-year-old following their failed pursuit of him at the tail end of 2023. Still was approached as a potential replacement for Tony Mowbray last December, but the Championship side was unable to strike an agreement with the Reims manager.

Sunderland instead opted to appoint Beale as the 60-year-old’s successor, who was relieved of his duties on Monday afternoon, with Mike Dodds placed as interim head coach until the end of the campaign, having already been in place following Mowbray's sacking earlier in the season.

According to the report, getting Still this season was not practical given Reims’s current form in Ligue 1. They are eighth in the table with 31 points from 22 matches, just seven points behind fourth-placed Lille. Still would not consider leaving at this point.

Southampton targeting ambitious Jack Clarke swoop

In recent days, transfer speculation has seen Southampton linked with a move for Sunderland's top scorer, Jack Clarke.

According to Football Insider, the Saints are keen on striking a deal for the Black Cat's winger, although that would depend on whether Russell Martin's side are successful in their ambitions of a first-time promotion back to the Premier League this time around.

The report claims that West Ham United also remain interested in the Black Cats' talisman, after seeing a £15m bid rejected for his services in January, with Sunderland demanding a fee of at least £20m to prize away the man who still has two years left on his contract at the Stadium of Light.

Marek Papszun interested in Sunderland vacancy

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Marek Papszun was keen on speaking to Sunderland about taking over as manager following Michael Beale's dismissal on Monday afternoon.

Papszun has spent his managerial career in his home nation of Poland, most recently being in charge of Rakow Czestochowa. At the end of last term, he led them to their first ever Ekstraklasa title, but has since become a free agent and has reportedly been approached by UK and Saudi-based clubs.

The 49-year-old was thought to be keen on speaking to the Black Cats about their vacancy but he may not have the chance to do that in the short term, although that opportunity could pop up again at the end of the season.

was thought to be on their radar.