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Paul Clement is the front-runner to succeed Bob Bradley as Swansea City manager, sources have told ESPN FC. Clement, who is first-team coach at Bayern Munich under Carlo Ancelotti, is the favoured candidate of Swansea's American co-owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, the sources said. Kaplan and Levien were impressed by Clement when they interviewed the 44-year-old prior to appointing Bradley in October and are ready to turn to the former Derby County manager. He is regarded as one of the brightest young English coaches in the game and Kaplan and Levien believe he has the credentials to arrest Swansea's slump and guide them to safety. The news comes after both Chris Coleman and Ryan Giggs were ruled out of the running to take charge at the Liberty Stadium. Gary Rowett, recently sacked by Birmingham City despite leading them to the brink of the Championship play-off zone, is Swansea's contingency plan should Clement choose to remain at Bayern. Despite being axed by Derby in February having arrived in June last year, Clement's reputation remains high following his work with Ancelotti at Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. Former England manager Sam Allardyce had attempted to add him to his coaching team during the summer, only for Bayern to reject the Football Association's bid to appoint him on a part-time basis. Ancelotti is keen to retain Clement at Bayern but has made it clear to the Londoner that he will not stand in his way if Swansea offer him the job. And with the Swans facing Bournemouth at home on Saturday followed by a trip to Crystal Palace on Tuesday, Clement could be installed within the next 24 hours if negotiations progress smoothly.
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