Stoke City could attempt to land Michael O'Neill with a bumper pay package worth up to £1.5m.
The struggling Championship club have made an official approach to the Irish FA to speak to the Northern Ireland manager.
O'Neill's compensation package is believed to be around £650,000, with the 50-year-old currently on a contract until 2024 worth £800,000 per year.
It has been reported that the Potters - who sacked manager Nathan Jones last week - are willing to offer O'Neill an annual salary worth up to £1.5m.
The IFA confirmed on Thursday that Stoke had made an official approach.
In a short statement, the association said: "The Irish Football Association has been approached by EFL Championship club Stoke City who are seeking permission to speak to Michael O'Neill about their vacant manager's position."
O'Neill is currently preparing for next week's crunch Euro 2020 qualifiers against Holland and Germany.
And while their automatic qualification hopes hang by a thread, Northern Ireland look likely to land a playoff spot for next year's finals.
O'Neill has spent eight years at the Northern Ireland helm and guided the country to the Euro 2016 finals in France.
His previous management experience at club level came with Scottish side Brechin City and League of Ireland outfit Shamrock Rovers who he led to the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Last year he turned down the chance to manage Scotland, and previously O'Neill has been a target for Sunderland and West Brom.
Stoke have endured a terrible start to the season, winning just two, drawing two and losing 11 matches in the Championship.
Keep up-to-date with all the very latest news, what's on, sport and everything else in Belfast and beyond with the Belfast Live app.
Only select news that interests you by picking the topics you want to display on the app's homepage. Plus, our enhanced user experience includes live blogs, video, interactive maps and slick picture galleries. Download it now and get involved.
Click here to get it from the App Store or here for Google Play .
