Stoke City are in contact with Mark Hughes.

The Daily Mail says officials at the Britannia Stadium have made their interest known to Hughes - who has been out of football since being sacked by Queens Park Rangers in November - after deciding he would be a 'good fit' for their change of direction.

Other candidates are under consideration, including Martin Jol of Fulham, but Hughes has emerged as the choice of key decision-makers and is known to be ready to relaunch a management career that began with Wales in 1999 before switching to club football at Blackburn in 2004.