Roberto Mancini tops the shortlist of American Ellis Short as the majority shareholder seeks a new manager for Sunderland.
The Sunday Express says Short is increasingly calling the shots and wants chairman Niall Quinn, who had been looking at targets nearer home, to go for a continental boss.
Mancini is available after leaving Inter Milan in the summer after winning three consecutive Serie A titles.
Also on Short's list is former Rangers and current Zenit St Petersburg manager Dick Advocaat and ex-Ajax and Valencia manager Ronald Koeman.