The FAI claimed this week that the search for a new Ireland boss is "near the end of the process." The men's team has been without a manager since the dismissal of former boss Stephen Kenny in November.
Over the last few months, a number of managers have been linked to the vacant Ireland role. These include the likes of Roy Keane, Steve Bruce, Chris Houghton, Lee Carsley, Steve Bruce, and Neil Lennon.
There had been speculation that Carsley, who played over 40 times for Ireland, was set to take on the role full-time, but those reports were put to bed hours later. There is still belief that Carsley could end up getting the role, though.
Fans are sure to be tired of the saga, and who could blame them? But a senior figure at the FAI has claimed that they nearly have their man. It's now about getting the "right man."
FAI director of football Marc Canham, speaking at the Nations League draw in Paris, said: "We are nearing the end of the process, and we hope to conclude that as soon as possible.
"We don't want to put a specific timeline on it to hold ourselves to. We just want to make sure we get the right person who is going to take us forward into friendlies that we have coming up for the rest of the year, an exciting draw for the Nations League that then leads us into the World Cup campaign."
There have been rumours that the FAI is struggling to agree on a salary with a number of candidates. FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill has said that hasn't been an issue with the people they have spoken to already.
Former Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny (Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)"We talk to the board in relation to the financial parameters that ideally we have been looking at," Hill added.
"I think it is reasonable public knowledge as to how much we paid our previous manager, and look, as everyone knows, we have a tight budget for 2024 and beyond, but that wasn't going to be the defining criteria in relation to the search, and we have been open in relation to that, so that hasn't been an issue with any of the people we have spoken to up to now."
The FAI CEO has also said there have been no firm decisions made by the FAI.
“Nobody has been offered the job, and nobody has turned it down," Hill said.
“We wouldn't be able to offer a contract without it going by the board first. That wasn’t the conversation at last week’s board meeting.
“The board will approve the contract, which it did with the women's job.
“We said from the start that we wanted to keep the process tight, respecting the confidentiality of those we are speaking to, as you would in any recruitment process.
“I'm very sensitive to the media's job, and they have their own sources, but, like the women’s post, the right thing for us to do is keep it tight."
