Swansea City blocked by European club in pursuit of 37-year-old manager | OneFootball

Swansea City are yet to confirm their permanent replacement for Luke Williams, but they've had a setback with one of their main targets

Swansea City’s attempts to hire Kim Hellberg as manager have been blocked by Swedish outfit Hammarby.

According to Alan Nixon, the 37-year-old is a leading candidate to take on the role at the Championship club.

The Swans are seeking a permanent replacement for Luke Williams, who was dismissed in February amid the team’s decline in form.

Alan Sheehan was put in charge of the team on a temporary basis, and has overseen seven wins from 12 games so far, leading to calls from current players that he should be hired on a permanent basis.

However, it appears that Swansea's board have had another option in mind, although the chances of him arriving in South Wales appear slim.

Swansea City manager search latest as Kim Hellberg pursuit fails

It is understood that Swansea’s attempts to appoint Hellberg have been held up by Hammarby, who appear to be hell-bent on keeping their head coach.

The Swedish club are focused on securing qualification for European competition for next season, leading to a stumbling block for the Welsh side in their search for a new manager.

It was reported by the BBC earlier this week that Swansea have entered talks with Sheehan over potentially taking on the role on a permanent basis, perhaps as a knock-on effect of their Hellberg pursuit hitting a brick wall.

While he has done an excellent job as caretaker, the Championship club were still hopeful of bringing in Hellberg as their preferred option.

But with that seemingly now off the table, Sheehan looks likely to take over after a strong run of form in recent weeks.

Swansea fell to 11th in the table with Saturday’s defeat away to Millwall, a defeat that ended a five-game winning run.

Victories over QPR, Hull City, Sunderland, Plymouth Argyle and Derby County had lifted them into very slim contention for a top six position, but those hopes were dashed after George Saville’s goal proved the difference between the sides at The Den.

Swansea shouldn't be too disheartened at Kim Hellberg news - Alan Sheehan has earned a permanent appointment

While Swansea were clearly targeting a move for Hellberg, and thus it’s a blow to miss out on your primary target, Sheehan has also done enough to warrant being appointed.

The five-game winning run was very encouraging, and showed the potential this team has going forward.

The new investors in the club will be keen to see improvements over the summer, making this a crucial period for the team.