Sunderland eye ambitious Ipswich Town raid as two candidates for job emerge | OneFootball

Sunderland are targeting Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna as a potential replacement for Tony Mowbray.

That's according to a report from TEAMTalk, who say that Reims' boss Will Still is also among the candidates to take over at The Stadium of Light.

What is the latest on Sunderland's search for Mowbray's successor?

Sunderland announced on Monday night that Mowbray had left the club, after 15 months in charge at The Stadium of Light.

The former Blackburn, West Brom and Celtic manager had guided the club to the Championship play-off last season, in their first campaign back in the second-tier, after promotion from League One.

His sacking came despite the fact that the Black Cats looked well set to again compete for a top six spot this season, currently sitting ninth in the Championship standings, three points adrift of the play-off places.

Now however, it seems as though the Black Cats have moved quickly to identify two targets, who could take over from Mowbray in The Stadium of Light dugout.

Who are Sunderland targeting as replacements for Mowbray?

According to this latest update, both McKenna and Still are options being eyed by Sunderland to take charge of first-team affairs at the club.

After several years coaching with Manchester United, McKenna took on his first senior managerial role when he was appointed Ipswich boss in December 2021.

The 2022/23 season then saw him guide the Tractor Boys to promotion from League One to the Championship, ending their four-year stay in the third-tier of English football.

McKenna has since overseen an excellent return to the Championship for Ipswich this season, this season, with the club currently second in the table, seven points clear of the play-off places.

As things stand, there are three-and-a-half years remaining on McKenna's contract with Ipswich, securing his future at the club until the end of the 2026/27 season.

Still meanwhile, took charge of Reims manager in October last year, despite lacking a UEFA Pro License, which led to fines for his club, following a career playing semi-pro and amateur football.

Even so, the 31-year-old guided Reims to an 11th placed finish in Ligue 1 last season, and they now sit fifth in the table, meaning they may be eyeing European football next season.

There are still just over 18 months on Still's contract with Reims, tying him to the club until the summer of 2025.

Despite that, it is now claimed that Sunderland have placed both managers on their shortlist, as they search for someone to succeed Mowbray at The Stadium of Light dugout.

The Black Cats are keen to go in a different direction following the departure of Mowbray, and with both McKenna and Still in their thirties, they apparently fit the mould Sunderland are looking for.

Would McKenna or Still be a good appointment for Sunderland?

It does seem as though bringing in either McKenna or Still would be a sensible and impressive piece of business for Sunderland.

Both managers have exceeded expectations with their current clubs, and would bring something different to the Stadium of Light, which does seem to be what the Black Cats are looking for.

Indeed, both individuals have high profiles for the level they are at, so an appointment such as this could sent out a welcome message of intent from the Black Cats, both to those at The Stadium of Light, and their rivals.

However, both are in an incredibly strong position at their current clubs, with McKenna and Still currently challenging for Premier League and European football respectively.

That could therefore make it hard for Sunderland to tempt either manager away from their current side to take charge of the Black Cats, especially considering the challenges they could face when overseeing the largely inexperienced squad currently on the books at The Stadium of Light.