Stoke City see Mark Hughes as the manager with an eye for a bargain Hughes, who was sacked by QPR in November, will also attempt to lower costs by offloading fringe players on substantial wages. Six players, including Michael Owen, Jermaine Pennant and Dean Whitehead, will leave the club officially next month, saving more than £100,000 a week, but Coates remains determined to cut costs. Player sales will go towards Hughes's transfer kitty, with Asmir Begovic, the £15 million rated goalkeeper, likely to attract interest from Premier League clubs. Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Bayern Munich have all shown interest in the Bosnia international in the past and Begovic's sale will infinitely improve Hughes's chances of revamping the squad. Stoke are hoping to become entirely self-sufficient after the Coates family, who have made their fortune through online gambling giant Bet365, paid out a £7 million interest free loan in the previous season. Millions have also been pumped into the academy at the Clayton Wood training ground and Hughes will work closely alongside technical director Mark Cartwright in an attempt to improve the amount of home-grown youngsters stepping up to the first team. Cartwright's growing influence ensures that Hughes is unlikely to recruit Mike Rigg, his long-serving technical director at Manchester City, Blackburn and QPR. However, assistant Mark Bowen and first-team coach Eddie Niedzwiecki are on standby to join Hughes at the Britannia Stadium when his appointment is confirmed. Stoke's supporters appear to be split in their views on the incoming manager, though options have been limited to the Coates family with Roberto Martinez poised to join Everton, while Roberto Di Matteo has other offers and made it clear the job was not for him at this time.