Sunderland continue their search for a new permanent head coach after parting ways with former boss Michael Beale more than 100 days ago.
The Black Cats dismissed the ex-Rangers tactician earlier this year and decided to go with Mike Dodds as an interim until the end of the Championship season.
However, they have failed to find a successor to the English coach over the last three months and do not yet have a manager nailed down ahead of next season.
They have reportedly, though, narrowed down their shortlist of potential candidates to three managers, which suggests that progress is being made.
Sunderland eyeing up former Eredivisie boss
According to Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, former AZ Alkmaar manager Pascal Jansen is one of three names in the final frame to land the job at the Stadium of Light.
The reporter claims that St. Mirren chief Stephen Robinson and Dave Challinor, who currently manages Stockport County and just won League Two, are the two other men in the running.
Jansen is the only one of the three out of work, as it stands, and this means that he could be the most attractive option for the Black Cats, as they would not have to pay any compensation to land him.
Sunderland could land a manager who current star midfielder Dan Neil would love by landing a deal to bring the English-born tactician to Wearside, ahead of Robinson and Challinor.
Why Dan Neil would love playing for Pascal Jansen
The 51-year-old boss, whose style was dubbed "exciting" by journalist Brian Wijker, typically deploys a 4-3-3 formation and his midfield consists of one anchor and two box-to-box midfielders who have license to buzz around the pitch.
In his last full season with Alkmaar, during the 2022/23 campaign, Jansen got the best out of central midfielder Tijjani Reijnders in a box-to-box role.
Appearances
34
42
Goals
3
4
Assists
7
5
Key passes per game
1.8
1.1
Dribbles completed per game
1.5
1.0
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.7
2.7
As you can see in the table above, the Dutch manager had his compatriot operating as an effective number eight who could make an impact at both ends of the pitch, with goals, assists, dribbles, tackles, and interceptions.
You can also see that Neil offered similar qualities in the middle of the park for Sunderland with his ability to make things happen in and out of possession.
Reijnders' form for Alkmaar during the 2022/23 campaign earned him a €20m (£17m) move to Italian giants AC Milan in the summer of 2023, possibly due to the fantastic platform that Jansen's 4-3-3 system provided him with.
The Dutch boss' two box-to-box midfield positions allowed the young star to thrive in the middle of the park in the Eredivisie, which then attracted interest from Milan.
Neil could now love playing for Jansen for the same reason as he could use his quality in and out of possession, as well as his athleticism, to thrive as one of the two number eights in the 4-3-3.
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Sunderland could potentially have their next Patrick Van Aanholt in the making with this buy.
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He could help the English youngster to take another leap forward by making more key passes and dribbling more to show off his ability in transition, as Reijnders did, to put himself in the shop window for a bigger move in the future.