SUNDERLAND are set to hold personal talks with Derek McInnes within the next 24 hours after a compensation package was agreed with Aberdeen.

Aberdeen officials gave formal permission for Sunderland chief executive Martin Bain to speak with McInnes yesterday afternoon after a hectic morning of discussions resulted in a financial agreement.

The Black Cats have agreed to pay around £1m to release McInnes from the final two years of his contract at Pittodrie, and have also settled on terms that will enable the Aberdeen boss’ current number two, Tony Docherty, to join him when he travels to the Stadium of Light.

An Aberdeen club statement said: “The club can confirm that early (yesterday) afternoon, Sunderland FC agreed to meet all the contractual obligations for both Derek McInnes and Tony Docherty and they have, reluctantly, been granted permission to speak with both of them about the vacant managerial position at Sunderland.”

McInnes is set to meet with Bain before the weekend to finalise the details of his switch to Sunderland, with the former Rangers midfielder poised to be offered around £900,000-a-year to manage the Black Cats.

He will also be offered a bonus of around £1m, which will be due in the event of him leading the Wearsiders back into the Premier League.

McInnes is understood to be aware of the financial parameters he will be working within as he looks to rebuild the squad that was relegated from the top-flight last season, and has indicated a strong desire to return to English football after a mixed 14-month spell in charge of Bristol City.

The 45-year-old led the Robins to safety in his first season at Ashton Gate, despite having inherited a side that were rooted to the foot of the table, but left the club in the relegation zone when he was dismissed the following January.

He has successfully rebuilt his reputation at Aberdeen, leading the Dons to three successive second-place finishes in the Scottish Premier League, winning the Scottish League Cup in 2014 and reaching the Scottish FA Cup final last season.

He will be joined by Docherty, a former lower-league midfielder who first worked under McInnes when the pair were together at St Johnstone.

Docherty followed McInnes to Bristol City and Aberdeen, and will replace Paul Bracewell on Sunderland’s coaching staff, with the former assistant manager’s departure set to be confirmed shortly.

Bracewell joined Sunderland’s backroom staff as the development coach for the Under-21 and Under-18 teams in 2013, but was promoted to the first-team coaching group by Dick Advocaat.

Advocaat eventually made him assistant manager, and he remained in that role under David Moyes, but he has become the first casualty of the new regime under McInnes.

Meanwhile, Jordan Pickford is set to conduct his Everton medical while he is on international duty with England Under-21s rather than wait until the end of the European Championships before finalising his move to Goodison Park.

Sunderland accepted Everton’s £30m offer for the goalkeeper on Tuesday, and Everton are sending their medical team to the Czech Republic to speed up his switch from his boyhood club.