Manuel Pellegrini’s agent has said that his client has not been approached despite recent links to Chelsea and Manchester City but revealed that any club would have to pay €4 million to release him from his contract at Malaga.
The former Real Madrid manager had been mooted as a likely candidate to succeed Rafael Benitez at Chelsea as talk of a Jose Mourinho return had cooled somewhat, but the Chilean has also been linked with Manchester City and Serie A outfit Roma.
Jesus Martinez, Pellegrini’s agent, said that although there are no offers on the table for the 59-year-old at the moment, there is much to discuss as his current deal is due to expire at the end of next season.
“We must speak with Malaga about many things.
“If we have contacts with Roma, Chelsea and Manchester City Manuel has a contract until June 2014 and a price of €4million (£3.5million).
“But for the moment, no team has contacted us to offer a new contract.”
(Sky Sports)
Malaga’s financial difficulties have been well documented and the manager has done an admirable job guiding them into the quarter-final stages of the Champions League they’re currently in fifth position in La Liga, challenging for a top four spot, but have been handed a one-year ban by UEFA from European competition which they are to appeal.
Pellegrini has shown his loyalty to the club by sticking with them during the turmoil they’ve gone through so far but I’m not sure he would be able to ignore the call of a Chelsea or City this summer. Also, after varying degrees of success at Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga he may be tempted by a fresh challenge in a new country.
If Roman Abramovich was looking at Pellegrini as a potential Chelsea manager then I’d say he would be impressed by his preference for attacking football and that fact he can speak fluent English also stands in his favour, as well as his other skills as a coach.
