BBC Sport understands that Sunderland have agreed a compensation package with Aberdeen for manager Derek McInnes. This now allows the Sky Bet Championship club to enter discussions with the Scot over their managerial vacancy.
Since day one, McInnes emerged as the number one managerial target for the Stadium of Light club. The Sunderland hierarchy are believed to have been impressed by what McInnes has done at Aberdeen over the last few seasons, making them the nearest challengers to Celtic, playing exciting and attacking football.
He boosts experience of the Championship too from his time as manager of Bristol City, whom he took charge of prior to his stint at Pittodrie. Dave Cormack, the majority shareholder with the Ladbrokes Premiership runners up, states that he will ‘move heaven and earth’ to ensure that the 45-year-old remains with the club and isn’t tempted by a return to English club management.
Although McInnes hasn’t expressed a strong desire to leave the club, it would appear as though he will at least speak to Sunderland about the job. He may feel as though he has taken Aberdeen as far as he can, and trying to get Sunderland back into the Premier League might be a challenge he finds too hard to resist.
Sunderland have been on the lookout for a permanent successor to David Moyes ever since their dismal Premier League campaign came to an end. Simon Grayson, the Preston North End manager, and club legend Kevin Phillips have both been linked to the job quite heavily at times. However McInnes is a name which never went away and the Black Cats have gone one giant step closer to appointing their man.
