Simo Valakari new St Johnstone manager frontrunner after Tiernan Lynch talks break down

Simo Valakari has emerged as the shock frontrunner to be the new St Johnstone manager after talks broke down with Tiernan Lynch.

Courier Sport can reveal that the former Motherwell star, currently in charge of Riga in Latvia, has been lined-up to take over from Craig Levein at McDiarmid Park following a dramatic weekend twist.

Lynch was in pole position for the job on Saturday night – compensation had been agreed with Larne and Saints were willing to let him bring both his assistants to Scotland.

But it is understood the 44-year-old’s wage demands proved to be a deal-breaker and he is set to stay with the back to back Northern Irish champions.

Since interviewing Valakari on Wednesday, Saints’ American owners have known that he was a very strong candidate, who is desperate to manage in the UK.

Valakari has the most impressive CV of all the candidates who made the Saints shortlist.

He has extensive experience of British football, having played in midfield at Motherwell for four years and then the same period south of the border at Derby County.

He was capped 32 times by Finland and has also coached for the national team.

Titles and European football

Valakari has managed six clubs.

In his time at SJK, he first took them into the top flight and then, in 2015, guided the unfancied, small-town club to the title.

They also won a Finnish Cup and Finnish League Cup before Valakari and the board had different opinions on the direction the club should be moving in and he was lured to Tromso.

After three years in Norway, he returned to Finland with KuPS, where he picked up another two Finnish Cups and was runner-up in the league, by just one point on each occasion.

He has recently been working in Latvia, first with FK Auda, where a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifiers was secured, as had twice been the case at KuPS.

In December, 2023, Valakari made the switch to Riga and won the Latvian Supercup a few months ago.

He has long had a yearning to manage in Britain and was nearly appointed Motherwell boss on two occasions.

Two other Premiership clubs have previously asked for permission to speak with him, being denied both times.

“My ambition is one day to coach abroad,” he said in 2021.

“I’ve done that already in Norway for three years, but to be able to coach in the UK or in Scotland would be my dream, because I really loved the football and the culture.”