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The Football Association will offer Gareth Southgate half of what they paid Sam Allardyce to become England manager after he takes charge of his final match as interim boss against Spain on Tuesday night, it has been revealed.
The Telegraphreports that the FA are ready to appoint Southgate on a permanent basis, regardless of the result in the international friendly against Spain, after he secured two wins and a draw from his opening three matches in charge of the senior side.
Southgate stepped up from his role with the Under-21s to replace Allardyce after he left by mutual consent following The Telegraph’s undercover investigation that caught Allardyce offering advice in how to get around FA regulations and also attempting to secure lucrative work in the Far East with reporters purporting to be investors.
However, that deal is reported to be worth £1.5m-a-year, and stands at half the £3m that Allardyce was supposed to be paid annually by the FA.
Southgate’s contract, should he agree to the terms, is significantly less than Allardyce and Roy Hodgson – who led England to an embarrassing last-16 exit at Euro 2016 this year – although there are performance-based bonuses that could see his salary enhanced.
It does though represent a significant increase on his previous wages as Under-21s manager, for which he is currently paid around £500,000-a-week. The new deal will run until the end of the 2020 European Championship, although it will also include a break clause that can be activated after the 2018 World Cup should England’s performance result in an unavoidable change.
It’s understood that Southgate is willing to agree to the break clause, although the offer has not yet been made ahead of his fourth and final match as interim manager at Wembley this evening.
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Allardyce was appointed earlier this year by a three-man panel made up by FA chairman Greg Clarke, chief executive Martin Glenn and director of elite development Dan Ashworth, although this time around a fourth has been added in League Managers Association chairman Howard Wilkinson.
Southgate has made it clear he wants the job without directly saying so, and with his attentions currently split between the senior and Under-21s given he does not know where his future lies, he has called on the FA to make the decision soon to ensure his full focus can be given to whichever team he takes charge of.
It’s understood that Under-20s manager Aidy Boothroyd will step up to replace Southgate with the Under-21s, with the former Watford, Coventry City and Northampton Town manager fulfilling that role in Southgate’s absence on an interim basis.
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