Gary Lineker 'offers to take huge pay cut' as MOTD host plans for BBC showdown talks

Gary Lineker has volunteered to take a pay cut on his £1,350,000-a-year contract in order to extend his stay with the BBC.

Lineker, 63, has entered negotiations with the broadcaster ahead his current deal expiring in 2025. The future of the legendary Match of the Day presenter has been the subject of increasing speculation over the past few months, having hosted the BBC's staple Premier League highlights show since 1999.

Talk of his potential replacement has been simmering but the Sun report that Lineker is now due to meet executives from the Beeb next month for talks over a new deal. The contract would last at least two years and give him a new annual salary of £1m.

It's added that negotiations have been briefly delayed due to the BBC's decision to sack Lineker's colleague, Jermaine Jenas. Former Tottenham midfielder Jenas, one of the names most heavily tipped to replace Lineker on MOTD, was sacked for sending inappropriate messages to women whom he was working alongside on The One Show.

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Lineker, on the other hand, could remain at the BBC beyond 2025. "Gary is hugely popular with both fans and players alike," a source said. "The sense is that, with so much uncertainty and scandal at the BBC, right now viewers are crying out for a safe pair of hands.

"Gary has long maintained that the BBC provides excellent value for money - and has quite literally put his money where his mouth is, and offered to take a substantial pay cut."

Lineker certainly isn't thinking about retirement yet, having just anchored the BBC's coverage of this summer's European Championship. In a recent interview with the Evening Standard, the ex-England striker stated: "I'm still a spring chicken, really. I don't see myself retiring at the moment.

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"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."

Lineker added: "In sports television, you can never look too far ahead anyway, because of the nature of television rights. 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."

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