Martin O'Neill looks set not to honour a contract that he has not fully agreed and is reportedly set to take the manager's job at Stoke City.
Following the sacking of Mark Hughes, Stoke targeted Derby's Gary Rowett as his replacement. Rowett, however, responded to speculation by emphatically ending it - he signed a new contract with Derby County.
Martin O'Neill is Stoke's second-choice for the gig, and a report by Colin Young and Dan McDonnell in today's Irish Independent claims that O'Neill is going to meet the club for talks. He is held in high regard at the club, with a further pull factor for Stoke the fact that O'Neill has yet to sign the contract he has verbally agreed with the FAI, meaning the club won't have to pay any compensation.
While it had been floated that O'Neill would take the job on a part-time basis until the end of the season with no competitive Irish games slated, this report states that the Stoke job is on a full-time basis.
What's more, it appears that Roy Keane will likely be part of any potential deal with O'Neil. While it was thought that Keane might stay with the FAI in a relatively smooth succession deal, the paper reports that Keane is likely to follow O'Neill across the water. This is consistent with reports close to O'Neill after the 5-1 defeat to Denmark, which claimed that Keane may choose to stick by O'Neill's side should the Derryman land another club management gig.
The Irish Independent does, however, speculate that, should the package at Stoke fail to find room for Keane, he will remain with the FAI and another of the Irish backroom staff - Steves Guppy, Walford or Seamus McDonagh - will join O'Neill.
The FAI insisted that yesterday was no different to any other day, and that O'Neill would be flying to the UEFA Nations League draw later this month as Irish manager.
The full report is on Independent.ie.
