Sunderland face European competition for 44-year-old manager | OneFootball

Sunderland head coach target Bo Svensson is the favourite to take over the reins at Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin.

According to German publication Watson, Union Berlin are planning to appoint a new manager following the end of the season and have turned their attention to the 44-year-old following Nenad Bjelica's exit.

And Svensson, who has previously managed Mainz in the top flight of German football has emerged as the front-runner for the position amid interest from the Black Cats.

Sunderland are hoping to finally appoint a permanent successor to Michael Beale, who was sacked after just 63 days in charge last February.

Mike Dodds oversaw the end of the term on an interim basis, with an official replacement expected to arrive this summer.

Sunderland face Bo Svensson threat from Union Berlin

Svensson was considered as a potential replacement for Urs Fischer following his departure from Union Berlin in November.

However, the top flight club instead opted to appoint Croatian boss Nenad Bjelica - but his time has come to an end abruptly in the German capital.

It has been reported that a meeting was held earlier this week to discuss a new managerial arrival this summer.

This has led to speculation linking Svensson with the vacancy once again, which could prove an issue for Sunderland.

The Wearside outfit have been reportedly keeping an eye on a number of potential head coach targets, as they go through a thorough process to find a successor to Beale.

The Dane has a growing reputation as a coach following his two-year stint at Mainz, which came to an end near the end of 2023.

It remains to be seen whether he would be interested in moving to English football, or if he would like to take the step down to a second division side.

The appeal of Union Berlin is also obvious given it would involve remaining in Germany and would see him continue working at a top flight level instead.

Union finished 15th in the Bundesliga this past season, avoiding the relegation play-off place due to a superior goal difference compared to 16th-placed Bochum.

Sunderland’s disappointing Championship season

It was a disappointing second half of the season for Sunderland as they finished 16th in the Championship table.

The team was unable to sustain a push for a play-off place, having come sixth under Tony Mowbray in the previous campaign.

The Black Cats will be hoping the next head coach appointment will be capable of improving on their poor performance in the second division.

However, it remains to be seen who the club will task with that objective, with no obvious front-runner emerging for the role just yet.

Union Berlin role will be tough for Bo Svensson to turn down amid Sunderland interest

Sunderland may need to scratch Svensson off their shortlist of prospective new head coaches if Union Berlin make an approach.

It will be difficult to turn down that kind of opportunity, as it would mean staying in Germany while also working for a top flight side.

Sunderland are a club with a lot of potential, and will want to be earning promotion to the Premier League, but there is still work that needs to be done to bridge that gap to the top six.

Meanwhile, Union Berlin have the potential to compete in Europe with the right signings, having been in the Champions League this season despite a difficult domestic campaign, so the appeal is there to turn their fortunes around, as opposed to Svensson having to drop to the Championship in England.