AHEAD OF THE GAME

O’NEILL’S FIRST JOB AT STOKE? SELLING OFF THEIR BIG NAMES

STOKE CITY’S new manager, Michael O’Neill, may be forced to sell players in January, within weeks of taking charge at the club, to reduce the chances of his employers falling foul of the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules. The Championship club have yet to publish their accounts for last season, but they posted losses of l £30.1million during their last season in the Premier r League in 2017-18, since when they have e continued to operate with a high wage bill despite significantly reduced income. Under EFL rules, clubs face sanctions if they make losses of more than £39m over a three-year period, and Stoke are in danger of breaching that threshold unless they are promoted, and with them bottom of the Championship table, that seems unlikely. So players such as Jack

Butland (below) and Joe Allen could be sold to give Stoke more financial leeway ahead of next season, the last one in which the club will receive Premier League parachute payments. O’Neill has been promised money to spend during the January transfer window, but that will be contingent on player sales.

ThE FA have shown caution in holding back on booking booki travel for Gareth Southgate Sou and other executives ex to attend the th European Championship draw in n Bucharest later this th month until after England En have qualified. qual Southgate’s side only on need one point from their games against Montenegro on Thursday and Kosovo on Sunday to confirm their place at the tournament, but following last month’s shock defeat in Czech Republic the FA are taking nothing for granted.