SUNDERLAND are set to hold talks with Swedish coach Kim Hellberg in the next 24 hours, according to reports in the Scandinavian media.

Hellberg, who is a 35-year-old former midfielder, led IFK Varnamo to a fifth-place finish in the Swedish top-flight, with the season having come to an end last month.

In the immediate aftermath of the campaign, he announced he would be leaving the club in order to take up a new challenge.

He has been lined up for a switch to another Swedish club, Hammarby, who are looking for a new head coach after their former boss, Marti Cifuentes, moved to the English Championship to take over at QPR last month.

However, a report in respected Swedish media outlet Sportbladet claims that Hellberg is due to meet with a senior delegation from Sunderland in order to discuss a possible move to the Stadium of Light.

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Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman are leading the search for Tony Mowbray's successor, and are known to be assessing a number of potential candidates based overseas.

Reims boss Will Still and Nice assistant Julien Sable have also been heavily linked with the Black Cats in the last 24 hours.

First-team coach Mike Dodds is currently in caretaker charge, and is expected to be in the dugout when Sunderland host West Brom at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.