At the media gathering one of the owners - Abdulaziz Al-Hasawi - revealed they had opened talks with McCarthy, who guided both Sunderland and Wolves to the Premier League as champions in 2005 and 2009 respectively.
Abdulaziz Al-Hasawi: "Mick is one of the people we are talking to, but there are others. If he meets our requirements, we would be honoured to work with Mick.
"It is very important for the manager to have good knowledge of this league and the teams involved in it.
"They must also have an understanding when it comes to working with a club and developing it.
"We are looking for somebody with a strong CV, with a lot of experience. We want somebody who has good, strong character to come in and inspire the players.
"We have interviewed some people on the phone but we're starting to see people face to face and you get a much better impression when you see them face to face. They are more comfortable and can speak more openly."