The Football Association has given the green light for a foreigner to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager, according to The Guardian.

The decision was made at a board meeting where chief executive Mark Bullingham secured backing for a global search for the next national team boss.

There was some internal opposition, but the FA is determined to appoint the best candidate, irrespective of nationality.

Sarina Wiegman’s success with the England women’s team is believed to have influenced the board’s decision.

Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel are early front-runners, but their salary demands could be a stumbling block.

Pochettino recently left Chelsea despite leading them to an unprecedented sixth-place Premier League finish. He has been touted for the England job since his days with Tottenham Hotspur.

Tuchel also just left Bayern Munich and is open to taking on a new role. The German has a much better reputation in England owing to his success at Chelsea.

He won the Champions League, Club World Cup and Super Cup with the Blues. He also guided them to successive FA Cup finals and the League Cup final.

The FA reportedly have Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou on their radar.

Eddie Howe and Graham Potter are among the English contenders, although they are underwhelming compared to the other options.

The FA is under pressure to appoint a new manager quickly, with England’s next match just over a month away.

Lee Carsley, who guided England Under-21 to European Championship glory last summer, is the likely interim option.

Bullingham is overseeing the recruitment process alongside technical director John McDermott.

He has stressed the importance of succession planning. “Any organisation has a succession plan in place for their top employees, and we are no different,” he said.