SUNDERLAND have admitted defeat in their attempts to lure Paul Clement to the Stadium of Light, but are hoping to receive the green light to hold talks with Burnley boss Sean Dyche later this week.

Black Cats sporting director Lee Congerton is a long-standing admirer of Clement, and had hoped to install the former Real Madrid assistant as Dick Advocaat’s successor when the Dutchman confirmed his unwillingness to extend his stay on Wearside earlier this week.

An approach was made to Clement and his representatives, but the 43-year-old had already given Derby County a strong verbal assurance that he would be taking over at the Ipro Stadium as soon as his departure from the Bernabeu was formally confirmed.

That confirmation arrived over the weekend, and Clement did not feel comfortable reneging on his agreement with Derby chief executive Sam Rush, even though a move to Sunderland would have enabled him to begin his own managerial career in the Premier League. As a result, he is expected to be confirmed as the new Derby boss later today.

With Clement out of the equation, Congerton set about drawing up a new shortlist of potential recruits, and Dyche is one of the names receiving serious consideration despite his failure to keep Burnley in the Premier League last season.

The former Watford boss was on Sunderland’s shortlist when Gus Poyet was appointed in October 2013, and he continues to have his admirers within the Stadium of Light hierarchy.

He guided Burnley into the top-flight in the 2013-14 campaign, and while last season ended with the Clarets in 19th position, Dyche’s reputation remained relatively intact, largely because of the financial constraints he was forced to operate within at Turf Moor.

The Kettering-born coach remains a highly-respected training-ground operator, and having watched the vastly-experienced Advocaat guide Sunderland to safety in the final two months of last season, both Congerton and owner Ellis Short are understood to be impressed with Dyche’s track record in the Championship and Premier League.

He is on a rolling contract at Turf Moor, which would limit the amount of compensation Sunderland would be required to pay to take him out of his current deal, and with Burnley currently going through a period of considerable off-field upheaval that saw them lose both a co-chairman and chief executive in the space of a week, Sunderland could look to exploit any ongoing uncertainty by making a formal move in the next few days.

The weekend saw the Black Cats linked with PSV Eindhoven boss Phillip Cocu and former Stuttgart head coach Armin Veh, but while the club is prepared to look towards the continent as they attempt to drive through an appointment, neither is currently regarded as a particularly likely choice.

Cocu worked under Advocaat at PSV before replacing him at the head of the Dutch club’s coaching set-up, but while Advocaat’s opinions were canvassed following the confirmation of his departure, Cocu is understood to be keen to remain in Eindhoven.

David Moyes’ candidature was always regarded as something of a long shot, and the former Manchester United boss remains determined to remain in his current position in charge of Real Sociedad for at least another season.

A final decision on the fate of the club’s out-of-contract players will not be confirmed until a new boss is appointed, although the chances of Wes Brown being offered a new deal are slim. There is more chance of French full-back Anthony Reveillere being signed up on a new short-term deal.

Lee Cattermole, Steven Fletcher and Vito Mannone are about to enter the final years of their current deals, and the club’s new head coach will be asked for his opinion on whether the trio should be offered a new contract. Assuming Costel Pantilimon retains his position as Sunderland’s number one, there is every chance of Mannone departing for a fee this summer.

Meanwhile, having been named the Barclays Under-21 Player of the Year last week, Sunderland youngster Duncan Watmore is hoping to round off the season in style by helping England Under-20s reach the final of the Toulon Tournament.

Watmore scored as England claimed a 3-3 draw with Morocco in their opening game of the competition, and was influential again as they beat Ivory Coast 2-1 on Saturday. As a result, Aidy Boothroyd’s side head into Wednesday’s final group game with Mexico in a confident mood.

“It’s been a surreal experience for me,” said Watmore. “It’s a privilege to play for my country and is the biggest thing of all. To make my debut against Morocco but also to get on the score-sheet was a fantastic experience.

“The plan is to get to the final of the tournament, hopefully we can win the next two games, keep working hard and if we get to the final that will be awesome.

“I want to play as much as possible, train well and see what team the manager picks, every one of the lads have been class and have all worked well as a team and we need to keep that going and reach the final.”