Stoke step up O’neill chase in search for new manager

Stoke City have made contact with Martin O’neill as they ramp up their search for a new manager.

O’neill has verbally agreed a two-year contract to extend his spell in charge of the Republic of Ireland but the Stoke hierarchy are keen on the 65-year-old former Aston Villa and Sunderland coach.

The club have been forced to abandon their pursuit of Gary Rowett after the Derby County manager signed a new contract with the Championship side, as revealed by The Daily Telegraph yesterday. He agreed an extension until 2021 that takes his salary more than £1 million a year.

O’neill, however, was also in Stoke’s thoughts to replace Mark Hughes at the bet365 Stadium and they are now planning to meet the Northern Irishman, with the club hopeful of making an appointment before Monday’s trip to take on Manchester United. O’neill is not guaranteed the job at this stage, with Stoke still considering other candidates.

The Premier League strugglers, meanwhile, have completed their first signing of the January window after agreeing a £5 million deal with Russian club Rubin Kazan for rightback Moritz Bauer.

The Austrian international’s transfer was approved by Mark Hughes before his dismissal on Saturday and Bauer will add competition to a position where Stoke have struggled.

Tony Scholes, the club’s chief executive, said: “Moritz is a player we have been trailing for some time and was someone Mark Hughes wanted to bring into the club. He’s a very highly regarded player who broke into the Austrian senior side last year and he adds to the defensive resources at our disposal.”

Bauer’s arrival is expected to trigger the departure of Glen Johnson, who is poised to leave on a free transfer this month.