Swansea City have sacked manager Francesco Guidolin and immediately appointed American Bob Bradley in his place.

Guidolin's future has been in doubt for some time as his team recorded five defeats and one draw following their opening-day win over Burnley in the Premier League.

The Swans came close to sealing victory over Liverpool at the weekend after a dominant first-half display, but Jurgen Klopp's men fought back to claim a 2-1 triumph at the Liberty Stadium.

On Monday, the Welsh outfit announced via Twitter that Guidolin had been relieved of his duties, and the club's American owners have swiftly plucked a replacement from their homeland.

Bradley, who spent five years in charge of the USA national team, will tonight vacate his role at Le Havre, where he was appointed manager in November 2015.

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs was heavily linked with the role following reports that he had held talks with the club while Guidolin was still in charge, but Swansea have gone another way.

Chairman Huw Jenkins told the club's official website: "We are obviously disappointed to part company with Francesco. We felt he deserved his opportunity after the work he did last season.

"Unfortunately we have not been able to carry performances over from last season and we felt we needed to change things as soon as possible in order to move forward in a positive way. We would like to thank Francesco and his staff for their services to the club and wish them well for the future."

On the appointment of Bradley, Jenkins said: "We are delighted Bob has agreed to join us. He is highly regarded as a coach and has a wealth of experience on the international and domestic front.

"He is well aware of the club's footballing philosophy and will provide us with strong leadership qualities and a renewed belief to compete at this level.

"It is never easy changing managers, but we are looking at a long-term appointment and we are confident Bob can settle us down and stabilise matters on and off the pitch."

Guidolin was given a permanent contract in the summer after helping Swansea retain their top-flight status following his arrival at the club in January.

Coaches Diego Bortoluzzi, Gabrielle Ambrosetti and Claudio Bordon have also been released by the club.