Hull waiting to see whether Bruce will take up their offer

The former Wigan Athletic and Sunderland manager will make a decision on his future today after holding talks with Hull owners Assem and Ehab Allam.

Bruce, 51, had been monitoring developments at Wigan over the last few weeks amid speculation surrounding manager Roberto Martinez.

However, once Liverpool opted for Swansea’s Brendan Rodgers ahead of Martinez, it closed the door on the possibility of a return to the DW Stadium.

The Tigers have been linked with a host of managers over the last month after sacking Nick Barmby for alleged comments about investment in the team.

Carlisle United’s Greg Abbott has been high on the list of candidates while Kevin Blackwell, Billy Davies and Lee Clark were also keen on the post.

Bruce, who has also managed Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town, Crystal Palace and Birmingham City, has spent the last seven months out of football awaiting an opportunity with a Premier League club or a club he feels is capable of winning promotion to the top flight.

The Tigers fall into the latter category and narrowly missed out on play-off qualification under Barmby last season.

It is now two years since the club were relegated after reaching the top flight under Phil Brown for the first time in the club’s history.

Now under the guidance of new owners – the wealthy and ambitious Allam family – the club are intent on mounting another challenge for promotion next season.

Bruce, who captained Manchester United to three Premier League titles and won a Second Division title at Norwich City, twice led Birmingham into the top flight, in 2002 and 2007, before starting a second spell at Wigan and keeping the club in the Premier League.

In June 2009, he moved to Sunderland where he established the Wearsiders as a Premier League fixture, finishing no lower than 13th in the table during his three seasons in charge.

Bruce’s tenure at the Stadium of Light ended last November after a sequence of only two wins from the first 13 games. Sunderland supporters had also struggled to accept his boyhood allegiance to arch-rivals Newcastle United.

Speculation that he was about to be offered the Hull job intensified last week when a flood of wagers prompted bookmakers to close betting on his appointment.

Although his agent attempted to play down speculation at the start of the week, Bruce has been offered the post by the Allams.

If he agrees to move to the KC Stadium, there is likely to be a press conference in the next few days.

However, should Bruce decide to snub the offer, it will force the Tigers to move for an alternative but there will be no shortage of takers.

The Tigers’ first-team squad, meanwhile, are due to return for pre-season training at the start of July but the absence of a manager during the past few weeks has delayed significant movement in the transfer market.

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