RICKY SBRAGIA’s first task as head of player recruitment will be to find a new striker after Sunderland confirmed they’ll not exercise their option to sign Djibril Cisse on a permanent basis.

Chairman Niall Quinn is keen for Sbragia to oversee a summer squad rebuilding programme, but the exact nature of the Scot’s new role is yet to be clarified.

With their Premier League status assured, the club will be focusing their immediate attention on an internal strategic review, and the announcement of Ellis Short’s takeover is expected to be made in the next couple of days. Short is poised to fund a grassroots overhaul at Sunderland and a significant budget will be made available to strengthen a squad that narrowly avoided relegation.

The appointment of Sbragia’s replacement is high on the agenda, although Gordon Strachan’s decision to quit Celtic yesterday is not thought to herald his switch to the Stadium of Light. Neither Strachan nor former Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren are under serious consideration as Quinn draws up his shortlist.

Cisse’s ten Premier League goals saw him end the season as joint top league scorer, but his sharp dip in form after January has persuaded Sunderland to look elsewhere to find a new strike partner for Kenwyne Jones.

“We wish Djibril well and thank him for his contribution to the club this season,”

said Quinn.

Sunderland had agreed a fee of around £10m with Marseille when Cisse joined last August but he became an increasingly marginal figure at the club and was an unused substitute on Sunday against Chelsea.

Following Sbragia’s postmatch announcement to stand down Steve Bruce emerged as one of the favourites to succeed him and some bookmakers yesterday suspended betting on the Wigan boss taking over at the Stadium of Light.

Bruce has established an impressive reputation since taking over at the JJB Stadium in November 2007 and his expertise in the transfer market makes him an appealing candidate. But his connection with Newcastle United, the club he supported as a boy, could make the Corbridgeborn manager a controversial appointment with some Sunderland supporters.

Bruce refuted any claims he was interested in the job saying: “It’s news to me. The link is usually Newcastle so this is news to me that’s for sure.”

There is also thought to be strong boardroom admiration for Mark Hughes and David Moyes. The chairman has declared his determination to recruit a “big name manager” to announce the next phase of Sunderland’s development although Quinn would have to be at his most persuasive to convince either the Everton or Manchester City boss to join Sunderland.

Martin Jol and Sven-Goran Eriksson remain options with the latter’s ability to establish Man City as a Premier League force providing a template for the type of restructure expected to take place at Sunderland this summer.

Defender Danny Collins has urged the club’s hierarchy to appoint a manager who follows Sbragia’s example of working with the players on a day-to-day basis.

“Ricky’s the kind of boss who gets involved on a day to day basis and I think players respond well to that,” said the Sunderland fans’ player of the season. “He’s a great character and puts in the work on the training pitch. I’m disappointed for Ricky really. The lads have worked hard and enjoyed working for him. He’s a great man.”

■ Sunderland manager odds: 8/11 Gordon Strachan, 7/4 Steve Bruce, 11/1 Slaven Bilic , 12/1 Alan Curbishley, 16/1 Phil Brown, Didier Deschamp, Claudio Ranieri, Martin Jol, Sven-Goran Eriksson, Frank Rijkaard, Mark Hughes