Bayern allows Paul Clement to discuss Swansea job
Bayern Munich's assistant manager Paul Clement has been granted permission to discuss the vacant Swansea City managerial post.
The decision was made by boss Carlo Ancelotti and the Allianz Arena boardroom, meaning Clement won't travel to Bayern's mid-season training camp in Doha, Qatar.
The Times' Oliver Kay understands that his appointment at the bottom-placed Premier League club is expected to be confirmed on Tuesday, with the 44-year-old set to pen a contract until June 2019.
Clement seems to have vaulted ahead of various names linked to the Swansea hotseat - including Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs and recently ousted Birmingham City gaffer Gary Rowett - and would succeed Bob Bradley, who lasted just 85 days after overseeing two wins in 11 matches.
The American's inability to stem the flow of goals conceded by Swansea ultimately cost him his job on Dec. 27. Three or more goals were surrendered in nine of those 11 outings, and the backline continued its accommodating ways in Saturday's 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, which was presided over by caretaker manager Alan Curtis.
Clement's only previous managerial tenure ended in contentious circumstances when he was sacked by Derby County in February 2016. The club was just five points short of the Championship's automatic promotion places when he was shown the exit, and the Rams eventually ended the season with an 11-point gap behind second-placed Middlesbrough.
The rest of his coaching career has taken an upward trajectory, however. Following an underwhelming start to his playing days, Clement started his strides in coaching at the age of 23, juggling duties as a physical education teacher with a job in youth development at Chelsea.
He eventually progressed to senior matters, assisting Guus Hiddink and Ancelotti at Chelsea before continuing to act as the latter's deputy at Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
Swansea can draw closer to safety in Tuesday's trip to Crystal Palace. The Croydon outfit is four points ahead of the Swans and just one place above the drop zone.