Stoke told it will cost £1.5m to make Derby’s Gary Rowett their new boss to replace Mark Hughes
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STOKE must pay £1.5million if they want to make Derby's Gary Rowett their new boss.
The lowly Potters met today to discuss their new step after axing Mark Hughes following Saturday's 2-1 FA Cup humbling at League Two side Coventry.
Rowett is an early contender to take over the Premier League strugglers but the Rams seem certain to reject any approach.
The former Birmingham chief has 18 months left on his Pride Park deal after taking Derby to second in the Championship.
So if Stoke pursue their interest, they would need to pay a hefty compensation fee.
Nonetheless, Rowett is regarded as the frontrunner for the Potters job - along with Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill.
But ex-Stoke and West Brom left-back Graham Potter, who has bossed Swedish minnows Ostersunds to the knockout stages of this season's Europa League, is also being considered.
Derby believe Rowett is showing no signs of interest in swapping a promotion bid for a fight against relegation.
Rams' chairman Mel Morris summed up the club's attitude to the 43-year-old, who had two-year spells in charge of Burton and Brum before landing his Derby role in March 2017.
Morris said: “Gary’s work rate is huge, he’s always on it.
“The job’s in his mind, he’s focused. He's someone you can build a team around.
“I don't just mean a football team, I mean a support team.
"With Gary, you have someone who has had enough experience managing but is young enough to still grow into the role. That is a different dynamic for me.
“His openness is probably the best thing. You can have a conversation with him.
“Often you can find some people are very entrenched in their views but Gary will listen, he’ll take it on board and will challenge if he feels he has to.
"I don't like compromise but if he has to, he will, although we’ve not had to do that.”
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