Will Still is now a free man after leaving Reims on Thursday, amid ongoing links to the likes of Sunderland and West Ham.

Sunderland may well have been handed a huge boost ahead of the summer after Still's sudden exit from Reims.

The 31-year-old has been linked with Sunderland throughout the season and is said to be owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus' ideal appointment this summer.

Still has gained something of a cult following on social media for his unnatural rise into management.

And he's impressed, too, guiding Reims to a 19-game unbeaten run and leaving them in a comfortable 11th place in the Ligue 1 table.

Sunderland fans though seem to be changing their minds about Still arriving at the Stadium of Light this summer.

He left Reims on the back of a three-game losing streak and he remains vastly inexperienced, albeit now a cheap option with Sunderland not having to pay Reims a PS4.27million compensation any more.

Still is thought to be keen on taking the Sunderland job this summer.

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But Still's previous actions with the French club may be reason for Sunderland to avoid him this summer.

He said: "It's like a nightmare. Every week we tell ourselves that we're going to get back on track, but nothing works."

In the December, after Sunderland sacked Tony Mowbray, numerous reports emerged from France claiming that Still visited England and held talks with the Black Cats officials.

Still denied this, though, telling French media that he was in London seeing his girlfriend.

"Monday I went to London but I went there to see my girlfriend who is English and lives in London," he said. "I think I'm a loyal Eurostar customer because I've been going back and forth every week for three or four months."

Soon after, Still directly expressed his desire to manage in the Championship one day.

In an interview with The Athletic, he said: "I would work for a Championship team without a problem."

And last month, Still was spotted in London, this time watching the Chelsea vs Everton game at Stamford Bridge.

All of the events of the past six months or so have led to Still and Reims parting ways; with the club in the same table position that they finished in last time round, and now seemingly out of pocket by PS4.27million.

It seems as though, from what he's said about managing in the Championship and the claims that he left France to hold talks with Sunderland, girlfriend visit or not, Still's head was turned long ago.

And Reims' form has certainly dropped in the past few weeks; they've won just two of their last 14 games in all competitions, coincidentally the same as Sunderland.

But for a manager to comment so openly about wanting to manage in another league, so soon after reports that he had talked with a club in England, seems slightly disrespectful.

Reims gave him his chance and paid his way whilst he wasn't studying for a UEFA Pro License.

But Still may well have been plotting his exit from the Champagne club for some months now, as the timing of his exit might suggest to us.

If Sunderland hire Still then there's nothing to suggest that Louis-Dreyfus and co may have similar problems later down the line.

After all, he is a very young manager who's still cutting his teeth, and the opportunity to move up in his field, and so rapidly, is rightly tempting.

There certainly seems to be a lot of risk with this potential appointment, and it may be best avoided for the time being.