Roberto Martinez and Unai Emery are two of the contenders linked with replacing Steve Bruce as Newcastle United manager.
On Monday, The Times named them alongside Steven Gerrard as the three leading candidates.
However, there is a big problem with all three – they are currently employed elsewhere.
That means Newcastle would need to convince them to leave their current club and pay compensation as well. On top of that, the new owners will reportedly owe Steve Bruce around £8million in compensation if, or when, they decide to relieve him of his duties.
Imagine getting paid so much money for being so bad at your job, all the while having the media defend you to the hills and back. Madness.
But how much will Newcastle need to pay if they decide they want to appoint either Martinez or Emery?
Roberto Martinez would be much cheaper than Unai Emery
According to the Daily Mail, Belgium boss Martinez has a relatively low release clause of less than £2million.
Emery would cost a lot more, as his Villarreal release clause is reportedly £7million.
It would cost £10million to sack Bruce and bring in Martinez. It would cost £15million to sack Bruce and bring in Emery.
If money is an issue, which it shouldn’t be, Martinez is certainly a more attractive proposition.
The 48-year-old would be an interesting appointment, but perhaps not the first choice for a lot of people. His reputation has slightly gone down since his collapse at Everton and struggles with the golden generation of Belgium.
As for Emery, he would be a popular choice among some fans despite his struggles at Arsenal.
Is he worth the extra £5million though? That’s for the owners to decide, who may move for someone completely different. The only certainty right now is that Bruce is on borrowed time at St James’ Park.
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