Sunderland manager candidate ‘could emerge as an option’ for West Ham this summer

A potential Sunderland manager candidate could come into the reckoning for a Premier League job this summer.

Sunderland sacked Michael Beale last week, placing Mike Dodds in charge until the summer.

Dodds oversaw a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Swansea City in his first outing as interim boss; a third spell as interim boss for the 37-year-old.

And whilst Dodds has been tipped to potentially come into the running for the permanent job, others continue to be linked.

Will Still is said to be Sunderland’s ideal managerial appointment in the summer, whilst names like Polish coach Marek Papszun has been linked too.

Former Swansea City and Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper is another who’s said to be known to the Sunderland owners, but Cooper may yet come into the running for a Premier League job this summer.

Dean Jones thinks Steve Cooper could become late West Ham contender

West Ham appear to be gearing up for a managerial change of their own in the summer, with David Moyes under-fire.

Cooper has been linked with the potential opening, though journalist Dean Jones believes the 44-year-old isn’t an immediate contender for the Hammers job.

But Jones thinks that, if West Ham struggle to land their ideal managerial targets, then they could make a late swoop for Cooper in the summer.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT:

“At the moment, I don’t think Steve Cooper is going to be in that conversation, but I can see why people would expect him to be.

“Perhaps further down the line, if they were to be looking at options and they weren’t falling into place, I think he could emerge as an option.

“But, at the moment, I’m not being told that Steve Cooper is a candidate at all. I think that they are looking at someone who has got elite qualities in the game, primarily.”

Sunderland must be wary of potential West Ham interest in manager target Cooper

Like West Ham, Sunderland seem to have other managers, or rather one manager higher up on their wishlist this summer; Reims boss Still.

But if Sunderland fail to land him like they did after sacking Tony Mowbray, then they could look at alternatives, and Cooper could quickly come into the conversation.

Though if a similar case unfolds at West Ham then they too could turn to Cooper, at which point there’d be a battle for the Welshman who’d no doubt pick the Premier League team over the Championship one.

Expect Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman to be putting the feelers out well before the end of the season, even now.

Sunderland won’t want to waste any time in getting their next permanent boss in and then getting their summer transfer plans under way, with plenty of comings and goings looking likely.

And if Cooper becomes manager then Sunderland can rest easy in the knowledge that they have a promotion-winning boss in place, and one who’s famed for working with younger players, following his success with the England U17s..