Swansea City in Talks with Hammarby Coach Kim Hellberg for Managerial Position
Swansea City is in discussions with Kim Hellberg, the manager of Swedish top-flight club Hammarby, as they search for a successor to Alan Sheehan.
Hellberg and his representatives have met with Swansea's chief executive, Tom Gorringe, in London to discuss the managerial vacancy at the Championship club.
The 37-year-old has emerged as the frontrunner to take over from Sheehan, having been a strong candidate for the position earlier in the year when Sheehan was serving as caretaker manager.
However, there is no certainty at this point that the Swedish coach will become Swansea's next head coach.
Reports from Sweden indicate that Hammarby is offering Hellberg a new contract in an effort to retain him, while he is also attracting interest from other clubs in the English second tier.
Hellberg has been linked to managerial vacancies at Middlesbrough and Norwich City, and Southampton is another Championship club actively seeking a new manager.
Sheehan was dismissed earlier this week following Swansea's disappointing start to the season.
Swansea is eager to appoint a new management team before their next match against Bristol City on Saturday, November 22.
Hellberg has led Hammarby for the past two seasons, achieving consecutive second-place finishes in the Allsvenskan, Sweden's premier division.
He has one year remaining on his current contract with Hammarby, which means Swansea would need to pay a compensation fee to secure his services. However, the amount is not expected to be a significant hurdle for the Welsh club.
Hellberg was considered for the Swansea role after the departure of Luke Williams in February, but Sheehan was awarded a three-year contract following an upturn in results at the end of last season.
Having spent his playing career in the lower leagues of Sweden, Hellberg began his coaching journey over a decade ago.
He first made his mark in coaching with Kuddby IF and then IF Sylvia before joining the staff at top-tier club IFK Norrköping in 2020.
Hellberg's first head coaching role in the Allsvenskan came at IFK Värnamo, where he had two successful seasons prior to his appointment at Hammarby.