Newcastle United managing director Lee Charnley has revealed that he may not appoint a permanent manager until the summer.
The Magpies have been playing under caretaker boss John Carver since the start of the year after Alan Pardew left for Crystal Palace, with Newcastle losing three of their four games under the stand-in coach.
Carver recently called on the club to replace Pardew as soon as possible in an effort to reintroduce a sense of stability at St James' Park, as Newcastle sit seven points clear of the relegation zone.
However, Charnley has insisted that, although he has identified candidates, he is determined to select the "right man" rather than a quick fix.
"We've got a number of options: clearly my preference is to try and find someone to bring in now," he told Sky Sports News.
"However, because it will be a long-term commitment, if I have to wait until the summer for what I believe is the right individual, then I would rather wait than actually take someone now who I think isn't the best fit.
"I'm not going to take someone who is free and available now if we have a better option and options by waiting until the end of the season. I know that won't be an entirely popular point of view, but for me that is the most sensible thing to do. It is about the medium to long term and ensuring we get the 'right one'."
Ajax coach Frank de Boer is among those to have been linked with the job.
Shane Callaghan
