The search for Swansea City's new sporting director as Luke Williams makes admission

Swansea City boss Luke Williams says the club are making progress in their search for a new sporting director, and claims a number of candidates showing an interest in the role.

The club has been operating without a sporting director since the departure of Paul Watson last month, with chairman Andy Coleman stepping in to fulfil duties in an interim capacity, including helping to negotiate a new deal for Liam Cullen this week.

Coleman has been out of the country since the striker put pen to paper on that deal, and there's no indication at this stage when Watson's successor will be in place. Likewise, the reasons behind the decision to part ways with the 38-year-old in the first place still haven't been clarified.

However, Williams insists Coleman has so far done a solid job in helping to fill the gap in Watson's absence, as the club attempts to press ahead with operations as normal.

"We have a gap in the staff," Williams said. "We don't have a full-time director of football. So Andy has stepped in to bridge that gap, and that's been great because we now have this deal [with Cullen] done, which is something we all wanted. How much that will continue will probably depend on how much Andy enjoys it, and how much time he has to do these things along with the many, many other duties he has.

"So we will see, but certainly it's been really impressive in terms of the speed he got to work on this particular deal.

"I think I need to be clear that it's all of us that probably failed in the need to build some bridges with players and agents, because we're all at the club. We can all put our hand up and say we need to do this more or that more. So it's a failing on everybody.

"I'm not singling anyone out, and I'm certainly not singling out Paul Watson, because I don't think it's fair as he's not here to defend himself.

"So all of us needed to step up our game and this is a good sign with Liam's deal."

Williams is likely to have more pressing things on his immediate agenda ahead of Saturday's clash with Oxford United, not least the bid to end his side's 525-minute goal drought, which is currently their longest since 1996. But he says moves are being made to appoint a successor.

“I know there are many, many applicants," he added. "There’s a process to follow to shorten down that list and then in the very near future people will be interviewed for the role and we go from there.”

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Coleman and Ken Gude, Swansea's chief of staff, are leading the search for Watson’s replacement, although there are other matters still in need of addressing in the interim.

Having already tied Cullen down to a new contract, it's hoped both Ben Cabango and Harry Darling can be persuaded to sign similar extensions to their current deals, although at the time of writing a breakthrough appears some way away.

Both players have been in superb form for the Swans, having been at the heart of a defence that is only behind Burnley, Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion as the best in the division.

It remains to be seen whether a deal for either player can be struck, with any new contract potentially having an impact on the resources available to spend in what is already looking an important January window.