Sunderland face battle to land Gareth Ainsworth - as Millwall holds talks

Sunderland will face competition if they are to land Gareth Ainsworth – with Millwall and Reading reportedly keen on the Wycombe Wanderers boss.

By Mark Donnelly

Published 14th Oct 2019, 11:47 BST- 1 min read

Updated 14th Oct 2019, 12:47 BST

Ainsworth was the early favourite to succeed Jack Ross at the Stadium of Light and, while his odds have drifted in recent days, he remains in contention.

But the Black Cats could face a battle to land the 46-year-old, with Sky Sports claiming Ainsworth held talks with Millwall over the weekend.

Gary Rowett and Tim Cahill are also thought to be interesting Millwall as they seek a successor for Neil Harris.

Ainsworth is also believed to be on a long-list of candidates for the Reading job, while he was also given permission to speak to the Black Cats.

Wycombe currently sit second in League One with Ainsworth having led them from the brink of relegation to the National League to the top of the third tier during his seven years in charge.