Swansea City next manager: Who next amid strong Kim Hellberg links?

Swansea City are in familiar territory as they return to the manager market.

Having sacked Alan Sheehan just six months after appointing the Irishman on a full-time basis, the Championship club are looking for their fifth permanent boss in little more than four years.

Swansea wasted little time in dismissing Sheehan after fans called for his head following a heavy home defeat by Ipswich Town – and are keen to be swift once more as they seek a replacement.

Chief executive Tom Gorringe and global head of analytics and recruitment Adam Worth are leading the search for a new boss alongside Swansea's ownership group, which is headed up by Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen.

Swansea had not decided on a successor before meetings on Monday evening spelled the end for Sheehan, but a number of names have already been discussed.

BBC Sport Wales takes a look at who could be in the frame to become new Swansea boss.

Kim Hellberg has emerged as the favourite to take the reins from Sheehan having been a leading contender the job in the spring.

Then director of football Richard Montague spoke to a number of potential managers after Luke Williams' departure in February, with Hellberg believed to be one who impressed.

The 37-year-old Swede is firmly in the frame again now.

There will be some irony should he be appointed barely two months after Montague was deemed surplus to requirements at Swansea.

Hellberg worked his way up the Swedish leagues with a reputation for playing attractive football, and impressed after replacing Marti Cifuentes at Hammarby.

He is said to be keen for a crack at English football, although the suggestion that Swansea would ideally like a boss with Championship experience may count against him.

As it stands, however, Hellberg is firm favourite for the job with the bookmakers and is certainly a leading contender.

Would Swansea's owners look to Martin, who still has many admirers within the club after his previous spell at the club?

The suggestion, for the moment at least, is that it is unlikely.

Martin was Swansea boss between 2021 and 2023, when his teams finished 15th and then 10th in the second tier.

Having worked amid financial constraints at Swansea, Martin left for Southampton and won promotion to the Premier League in his first season before losing his job as they struggled in the top flight, and he is now a free agent after a difficult spell at Rangers.

Martin remains a popular figure among players and staff at Swansea and would be open to the idea of coming back to Wales.

He would also bring a possession-based philosophy – while his statistics as a coach indicate he would improve Swansea in attack, which has been their biggest problem this season.

But despite the fact that Martin ticks many boxes, a reunion seems improbable with Swansea's owners seemingly against the idea.

Rodgers is another manager who Swansea fans know well, even if it is now 13 years since his two-year spell as their club's boss came to an end.

The Northern Irishman is a Swansea legend having led them to promotion to the Premier League in 2010-11, then delivered a mid-table finish against the odds in the top flight before leaving for Liverpool.

Luring Rodgers back to Swansea now would be quite something given the success he has had in his managerial career.

But the chances of it happening look slim.

There are questions over whether a deal would be financially viable – and whether Rodgers would consider dropping down to a team who are currently in the lower reaches of the Championship.

Michael Carrick is thought to have admirers at Swansea and is arguably one of the more attractive British options available at present.

The former Manchester United and England midfielder has an impressive contacts book and earned plenty of praise for the playing style he implemented at Middlesbrough - something that could well pique the interest of Swansea's hierarchy.

His first season at Boro was particularly impressive as he guided the club into the play-offs - where they lost to Coventry City in the semi-finals - having taken the side over when they were 21st.

Carrick then led Boro to the EFL Cup semi-finals in 2023-24, but narrowly missed out on another top-six finish as Middlesbrough ended his two full campaigns at the helm in eighth and then 10th before his dismissal in the summer.

Swansea's owners are ambitions, and there is an eagerness to ensure an appointment comes sooner rather than later.

Minority shareholder and Croatia icon Luka Modric may offer his advice having already played his part in attracting signings.

The former Real Madrid midfielder has many big-name contacts in the game, and there are suggestions that Zinedine Zidane is keen on a return to management.

Zidane to Swansea? Probably not.

Instead, bookmakers are looking a little closer to home.

Liam Manning caught the eye with Oxford United and Bristol City, but has just lost his job at Norwich City after a miserable start to the season.

Gary O'Neil's name also features high up the betting, while Kevin Muscat has been touted as a contender for the Swansea job in the past.

The same could be said of Alan Tate, a huge fans' favourite at Swansea in his playing days who has indicated in the past that he would like to manage the club one day.

Tate is currently working in Denmark, as assistant to former Swans boss Steve Copper at Brondby.

As things stand, Swansea appear more likely to look elsewhere in Scandinavia to appoint their new man at the top.

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