Next Sunderland manager: Huge development as Black Cats close in on FC Lorient boss Regis Le Bris

Sunderland are working on a deal to appoint the FC Lorient boss Regis Le Bris as their new head coach.

The Echo understands that Sunderland have been working on a deal to bring Le Bris to the club in recent weeks, including negotiating with his current club and working through the necessary paperwork for him to start work in the UK should a deal be agreed.

Reports emerged from Thursday night that Le Bris was on the brink of departing his current post, with further claims this morning that he was now Sunderland's main target for the role. That's understood to be correct but with Le Bris still in post, no deal is yet done. There is hope at this stage that a resolution will be found and that Le Bris will be in post by the time the players return for pre-season.

FC Lorient were relegated from Ligue 1 last season, but the 48-year-old came onto Sunderland's radar after an impressive tenth-placed finish the season previous. Le Bris is believed to have been one of five candidates on the club's initial shortlist for the role. While a deal for Will Still was pursued earlier in the summer, he ultimately opted to move to RC Lens and the Black Cats then turned their attentions to Le Bris. Two weeks to the day since Kyril Louis-Dreyfus told supporters an appointment was 'hopefully imminent', it looks as if the protracted search is finally heading towards a conclusion.