Gary Lineker is reportedly in talks to present Match of the Day for a reduced £1m annual salary after the BBC sacked his ‘natural successor’ Jermaine Jenas.
The veteran presenter, who is the corporation’s top earner on £1.3m, will meet bosses in October to talk about continuing as anchor for two or three further seasons, according to the MailOnline.
The BBC are reportedly eager to keep Lineker after One Show host Jenas was sacked for “sending inappropriate texts” to female members of staff.
Football icon Lineker could see his £1.3m salary slashed by £350,000 as part of negotiations.
The 63-year-old has fronted the flagship show since 1999. His current contract runs until 2025.
Jenas has on occasion filled in for Lineker and the 41-year-old was seen as a natural successor to take the show himself.
When asked about the situation he said he was "not happy" about his sacking from the BBC and that there are "two sides to every story".
Jenas was paid between £190,000-£194,999 by the BBC in 2022/23, the corporation’s annual report shows.
Linker has recently told the Standard that “I’m still a spring chicken, really,” at 63 and “I don’t see myself retiring at the moment”.
“I really love what I do - football has been an ever-present in my life. It’s a real privilege to be able to present such an iconic show.”
“In sports television, you can never look too far ahead anyway, because of the nature of television rights,” he added.
“You suddenly lose the contract and there’s no sport for you to cover. There obviously has to be a point when I call it a day, and I totally understand speculation about who else might do the role - but they might have to wait a little bit longer.”
Jenas has continued on TalkSport after his time at the BBC ended and is said to still be with his wife Ellie Penfold - Sport Bible has reported.
Speaking about Jenas, Lineker told the Standard: “I don’t really know what has happened there… I don’t know the ins and outs. I think it would be unfair to comment.”
