Stoke set to offer management pair route back to Premier League

Stoke City have offered Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane a lucrative offer to return to Premier League management as they step up their pursuit for Mark Hughes’ replacement, reports the Sunday Telegraph. 

Hughes was relieved of his duties at the Bet365 Stadium last weekend after Stoke’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Coventry and the Potters had hoped to announce his successor before Monday’s Premier League meeting with Manchester United. 

Espanyol boss and former Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores was in line to take over the Potters helm, but he opted to instead remain in Spain, paving the way for O’Neill and Keane’s return to England. 

However, it’s yet to be seen whether O’Neill will take over at Stoke as he has a verbal agreement in place to extend his contract with Republic of Ireland. 

The former Leicester and Sunderland boss is also wary of signing a short-term deal with Stoke and would rather the security of a long-term contract. 

Stoke remain in the Premier League’s bottom three after a dire run of form and have conceded more goals (47) than any other team in England’s top tier this term.