John W Henry and Tom Werner, Liverpool's principal owner and chairman respectively, have held talks with Roberto Martínez about the manager's job at Anfield and will travel to England next week to try to conclude the search for a successor to Kenny Dalglish.

The Wigan Athletic manager interrupted a holiday in the Caribbean to meet the Liverpool hierarchy in Miami on Thursday. Martínez is the first candidate on Liverpool's shortlist to undergo a formal interview with Henry and Werner but will not be the last, with the owners intending to speak to several managers in England next week.

Details of the Miami meeting were revealed by Wigan's chairman, Dave Whelan, who had set Martínez a deadline to decide on his future amid further interest from Aston Villa and also indicated the extent of the managerial change Fenway Sports Group envisages for Liverpool. Whelan claimed the next Liverpool manager will not be responsible for signings as FSG looks to install a director of football-type figure, expected to be Louis van Gaal, and limit the new man's influence to the football pitch.

Whelan said on Thursday: "I got a phone call this morning and Roberto was on his way to America. He's flown to Miami and is meeting Liverpool now, as we speak. I didn't ask him what he has decided to do but I told him I wanted it sorted out sooner rather than later. If it's yes to Liverpool, I will accept it and get on with life. But if it's no, I'll be delighted."

Martínez also remains on Villa's shortlist despite rejecting the Midlands club last summer and Whelan, who said he would demand at least £2m-3m compensation for his manager, added: "I would love him to stay, I hope he will stay but I told him I need an answer in the next seven days."

Liverpool held informal talks with Martínez last weekend and still wish to speak to the Swansea City manager, Brendan Rodgers, who declined their offer of an interview last Friday due to reservations over the wide-ranging search being conducted by FSG and the potential ramifications at the Liberty Stadium. It is believed Rodgers would be interested if it was clear he was on a shortlist for the Liverpool job, and that is the case.

FSG has also made progress with Van Gaal, the former Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar and Bayern Munich coach, who it believes can head the new management structure intended for Anfield. The 60-year-old is FSG's choice to replace the former director of football Damien Comolli, albeit under a different title and with different responsibilities.

The position is Van Gaal's to accept or decline. The Dutchman, who has also been linked with a coaching role at Lazio, is keen on a move to Merseyside and he may yet ask to be considered for the managerial vacancy at Liverpool.

Van Gaal would want greater control as a sporting director than Comolli ever had at Anfield and, in Whelan's view, FSG is prepared to grant it.

The Wigan chairman said: "My information is that the new Liverpool manager will not be given full responsibility of the football department. There will be somebody else signing players, and they might not necessarily be the choice of the manager.

"My advice to Roberto is to think very carefully about this, but Liverpool are a big club and I hope that they remain one of the big clubs. But I have to say from what I am hearing the new Liverpool set-up on the football side goes well beyond the norm even with a director of football."

Liverpool have confirmed Billy Hogan, formerly the managing director of Fenway Sports Management, as the club's new chief commercial officer and Jen Chang as their new corporate relations and communications director. Chang was previously the senior editor for football-related content at Sports Illustrated in New York and will take up his position on 11 June.