SUNDERLAND will attempt to hijack Paul Clement’s proposed move to Derby County after Dick Advocaat rejected the club’s offer of a new three-year deal at the Stadium of Light.

Having guided the Black Cats to safety in the final two months of the season, Advocaat was the club’s preferred option as a permanent head coach.

However, after three days of deliberation in his native Holland, the 67-year-old informed Sunderland owner Ellis Short yesterday afternoon that he wanted to take a permanent step away from club management despite the successes of his nine-game spell in charge of the Wearsiders.

With Advocaat having hinted at a reluctance to extend his reign in the wake of Sunday’s final Premier League fixture at Chelsea, Short and sporting director Lee Congerton have been working on a contingency plan.

The pair have already drawn up a list of potential candidates, with Clement figuring prominently in their thoughts following his departure from his previous role as assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid on Monday. Former Manchester United boss David Moyes is also regarded as an extremely strong candidate.

Short and Congerton will have to move quickly if they are to land Clement, as the 43-year-old has already held discussions with Derby County officials about replacing Steve McClaren, who was dismissed from the Ipro Stadium at the start of the week.

Clement, who has developed a reputation as one of the most progressive and innovative coaches in the country since beginning his coaching career at Chelsea in the 1990s, is keen to return to England and take on his first managerial-type role.

He had indicated a willingness to move to Derby despite the Rams’ failure to win promotion from the Championship last season, but the chance to take over at a Premier League club would make considerable appeal if Sunderland were to make a concrete offer within the next 24 hours.

Clement worked at Chelsea at the same time as Congerton was working at Stamford Bridge as youth-team coach and then chief scout, and the pair have kept in contact while Clement followed Ancelotti to Paris St Germain and then on to Real Madrid.

The Londoner, who is the son of former England and QPR player Dave Clement and the brother of former West Brom defender Neil, is considered to be the kind of astute training-ground operator that Short is keen to appoint as he looks to ensure Sunderland are not embroiled in a relegation battle for a third season in a row.

The Black Cats chief is ready to make a significant investment in the transfer market this summer, but while a new head coach will have an input into transfer affairs, the key recruitment decisions will be made by Congerton.

That would appear to rule out Sam Allardyce, who has been heavily linked with a move to Wearside following his departure from West Ham at the weekend. Allardyce would demand considerable control over transfer matters, something Short is unwilling to provide.

Whether Moyes could be persuaded to work within the existing structure remains to be seen, but the fact that Sunderland are considering a move for the Real Sociedad boss underlines their determination to land a high-quality figure.

Moyes recently claimed he has no desire to leave Sociedad after guiding the Basque club to a respectable 12th-placed finish in La Liga, but the Scotsman could find the lure of a return to the English top-flight difficult to resist.

Advocaat’s decision to reject a new deal is regarded as a major disappointment within the Sunderland hierarchy, although yesterday’s developments were not a complete surprise.

The Northern Echo:

The Dutchman had expressed serious reservations about the day-to-day grind of club management from the moment he was appointed to replace Gus Poyet in March, and while he was clearly tempted by the offer of an extended stay, he ultimately concluded he was too old to return to full-time work away from his homeland.

“It was very difficult to come to this conclusion, but it is better to stop because it was two very hard months,” said Advocaat, who could yet take up a final post in international management if the right offer came along. “They were great times, working with great people and great players, but there comes a moment when you have to make a decision about yourself and in September I become 68.

“I had a very good talk with the owner and I think it’s better to stop now, despite them giving me an opportunity to sign for three, two or even one year. They have my number if they want to know something or if they want my advice. They can always call me because this club is in my heart.”

Short desperately wanted to retain Advocaat, and had promised to make the changes the Dutchman felt were required this summer, but his pledges ultimately proved in vain.

“Although I am extremely disappointed, I understand and absolutely respect his decision,” he said. “In his brief time here, he made a real impact and lifted the club with his experience and enthusiasm. We will always be grateful to him for what he achieved.”

Congerton is primarily responsible for recruiting his successor, and the boardroom chief added his thanks for Advocaat’s efforts.

“I know it was a tough decision for Dick to make," he said. "But he felt that he couldn’t commit to the intense rigours of club management on a longer-term basis and we respect his honesty. In his short time here he was fantastic to work with. He had, and will continue to have, the utmost respect of everyone here at Sunderland.”