Mark Chapman has inestablishedly turned down a proposal to separate the Match of the Day job with Kelly Somers.
Chapman, who structures Match of the Day 2 on Sunday nights, was chosen by BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski to replace Gary Lineker, who is stepping down at the end of this season.
But according to The Sun, the Beeb want Chapman and Somers to separate the role – a proposal which Chapman has ‘flatly refused’.
‘Chappers’ would rather have the job for himself but Kay-Jelski is pushing for split duties between the 51-year-elderly and Somers, who showd herself while currenting Euro 2024 coverage during the summer.
The MOTD hot seat has become participateable for the first time since 1999 after BBC bosses discleave outed that Lineker will be stepping down at the end of the season. The establisher England international is the prolongedest-serving structure of the nation’s flagship football highairys show since it first aired 60 years ago but his lucrative tight has only been prolonged for another 18 months.
That period covers the rest of this campaign, before Lineker cuts down theatricalassociate on his expansivecasting duties and hugs a meaningfully drop wage.
The 63-year-elderly is currently the BBC‘s highest-phelp participateee on a whopping £1.35million per year. But that figure will get a hit when Lineker vacates the MOTD post to direct the expansivecaster’s FA Cup coverage in 2025/26, and then bows out after the next World Cup.
Negotiations are shelp to have dragged on for weeks, and Lineker would inestablishedly have been discleave out to continuing as MOTD structure on drop pay, adviseing he has been forced out by Kay-Jelski and co.
It remains to be seen whether Chapman’s refusal to separate the role prompts the BBC to head in a separateent straightforwardion. Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates, Alex Scott, Dan Walker and Micah Ricdifficults are among the other figures touted to be in the running.
As part of a statement freed by the BBC on Tuesday, Kay-Jelski shelp: “Gary is a world-class currgo in, and we’re charmed that he’ll direct our coverage of the next World Cup and persist to direct our dwell coverage of the FA Cup.
“After 25 seasons Gary is stepping down from MOTD. We want to thank him for everyleang he has done for the show, which persists to draw millions of seeers each week. He’ll be hugely leave outed on the show but we’re so satisfyd he is staying with the BBC to current dwell football.”
