Swansea City are considering appointing a director of football to work alongside their new manager.
Jaap Stam, Frank de Boer, Graham Potter and others are all options being weighed up by the club as they seek a successor to Carlos Carvalhal, who left last week.
But relegation to the Championship and a poor recent recruitment record has focussed thoughts on whether the Swans should also create a new position with someone to work alongside Carvalhal’s successor.
That type of football director role – masterminding recruitment and the long term on-field strategy, regardless of managerial change – has always been undertaken by Huw Jenkins, despite his title of chairman.
But Swansea’s American owners are considering a fresh approach, which could see Jenkins revert to the more traditional responsibilities of a club chairman, unless he opts to leave the club altogether as has been demanded by the Supporters Trust.
Any appointment of a director of football, however, is likely to take place after a new manager has been installed.
Stam is one of a number of managerial candidates under consideration.The former Manchester United centre-back was sacked as Reading manager in March following a poor season in the Championship.
Stam left the club when they were three points above the relegation zone after a run of one win in 18 league games. Reading eventually finished 20th, three points above the drop.
After initially lifting the club out of the relegation zone in the early part of his time in charge, Carvalhal could not prevent Swansea from dropping into the Championship, as they ended the season without a win in their last nine matches.
Former Wales manager Chris Coleman is still an unlikely bookies’ favourite to replace Carvalhal, with Potter – the English head coach of Swedish side Ostersunds – also in the running, along with De Boer, who was sacked by Crystal Palace in September after just 10 weeks in charge.
If Stam does take over, he would be working with a strong Dutch contingent in Swansea, including Mike van der Hoorn, Luciano Narsingh, Leroy Fer and Erwin Mulder.