Quique Sanchez Flores joins Martin O'Neill in the running for Stoke vacancy

The Irish boss looks likeliest to take over due to the fact he has yet to sign a new contract with the FAI, although Flores is weighing up what is said to have been a persuasive offer

The two men have both been approached by Stoke (Getty)

It is currently a straight choice between Ireland’s Martin O’Neill and Espanyol’s Quique Sanchez Flores to be the next Stoke City manager, as the club held further discussions on Thursday.

The Irish boss looks likeliest to take over due to the fact he has yet to sign a new contract with the Football Association of Ireland, although Flores is weighing up what is said to have been a persuasive offer from the Stoke delegation that met him.

For their part, the FAI are now less confident than they had been about keeping O’Neill, having only verbally agreed a new deal at the end of the country’s 2018 World Cup qualification campaign. That means that Stoke do not have to make a formal approach, and O’Neill is keen on a return to club management.

The Irishman also has a good relationship with club chairman Peter Coates, but there is a view around the club that O’Neill would be a more short-term appointment to maintain their Premier League status, while Flores’ style is more what they are looking for in the long term.

It would be more difficult to extract Flores from Espanyol, however, although he is said to be tempted by the offer and would enjoy the opportunity to go back to the Premier League, having managed Watford in 2015-16.