Allardyce to be paid £500,000 for four-game spell in charge of Leeds

Sam Allardyce to be paid £500,000 for his four-game spell in charge of Leeds as they desperately try to beat the drop… while he could rake in a staggering further £2.5MILLION should he keep them in the Premier League

• Sam Allardyce set to return to the Premier League as manager of Leeds United
• Comes after the club parted ways with Javi Gracia and Victor Orta on Tuesday 
• Former Bolton and West Ham manager set to be paid £500,000 for spell

Sam Allardyce will be named Leeds United manager on Wednesday – on a £3m mission to beat the drop.

It is understood that the 68-year-old former Bolton, West Ham and England manager will be paid around £500,000 to lead the Yorkshire club for the final four crunch matches of the season as they fight for their Premier League lives.

Should Allardyce succeed he will also net a staggering bonus on top of that salary worth north of £2.5m.

Leeds are yet to announce the departure of current manager Javi Gracia, who has only been in charge for two-and-a-half months.

Sam Allardyce has agreed a shock return to football after he was appointed as the new Leeds United manager

The former West Ham, Bolton, England and West Brom manager will be paid handsomely for his short spell

He will, however, not be joined by long-time assistant Sammy Lee who is on jury duty and was not given permission to leave by the judge

However, following a fast-moving 24 hours in West Yorkshire it can be reported that:

• Gracia has already been given his marching orders
• Allardyce will not be joined by old sidekick Sammy Lee as he is on jury service and failed to get permission from a judge to be excused
• Former MK Dons and Oxford manager Karl Robinson will be Allardyce’s number two 
• Allardyce will take training for the first time on Tuesday ahead of their trip to Manchester City on Saturday

Those close to the situation say the hope is that Allardyce, who left his last role at West Bromwich Albion at the end of the 2020-21 season, will have an immediate impact and ‘get them going’. Lee, who has been at his side over a long career, would have joined him only for a judge to tell him he could not be excused.

Robinson, sacked by League One Oxford in February, will assist, however, it is understood that he was to be brought in regardless of Lee’s position.

Leeds are currently outside the drop zone on points difference. Relegation could be even more costly at Elland Road given a deal is in place with the owners of NFL’s San Francisco 49ers to buy the club and there are concerns over the impact dropping out of the top flight may have.

After City, they host Newcastle before a trip to West Ham. Spurs head north for the final game of the season.

Ksrl Robinson is set to be brought in as Sam Allardyce’s assistant manager at Leeds United

Leeds appointed ex-Watford boss Gracia on February 22. The Spaniard, 52, replaced American Jesse Marsch and oversaw victories in his first two Premier League matches against Southampton and Wolves. A third win, against Nottingham Forest on April 3, further raised hopes that the drop would be avoided.

However, Leeds have taken just one point from their last five matches, and conceded a disastrous 18 goals in the process.

On April 9 they went 1-0 up against Crystal Palace who, at the time, were relegation rivals. But on a morale-sapping afternoon, Roy Hodgson’s Eagles went on to win 5-1. Their equaliser, scored on the stroke of half-time by Marc Guehi, is viewed as a turning point while the impact of 75-year-old Hodgson at Selhurst Park has been noted.

Earlier on Tuesday, Leeds announced that director of football Victor Orta had been shown the door.

His departure arrives amid what were ongoing tensions between the Spaniard and other boardroom figures at Elland Road.

Mail Sport revealed on February 10 that Orta’s position at Leeds was under scrutiny following the dismissal of Marsch and the resultant difficulties the club found in replacing him.

It is understood the Leeds ownership believed Marsch should have been dismissed significantly earlier than he was due to the team’s poor winter form.

However, Orta continued to back the American coach despite opposition from colleagues.

Unai Emery was thought to have been the unanimous choice to replace Marsch if they’d moved to sack him earlier – but the ex-Arsenal had coach joined Aston Villa in October.

Once Marsch was finally dismissed in February, Orta embarked on their now infamous pursuit of a new manager that resulted in failed attempts to lure Andoni Iraola from Rayo Vallecano from and Arne Slot from Feyenoord.

They eventually ended up with Gracia, who has been sacked inside three months.

Radrizzani is believed to have pushed for Gracia’s departure in advance of Sunday’s 4-1 loss at Bournemouth – but Orta wanted to back his countryman.

There were also disagreements over the club’s recruitment and transfer policy.

Sources have indicated that one of the deals Orta and board members did not see eye-to-eye on with the club record £35.5million arrival of forward Georgino Rutter from Hoffenheim in January.

Rutter has made just one Premier League start since his arrival and is yet to score.

Javia Gracia has already left his role as manager following a disastrous two-and-a-half month spell in charge 

Leeds have sacked director of football Victor Orta after their 4-1 defeat to Bournemouth

Sources have indicated that Orta was set to leave at the end of the season regardless of how the season climaxes. But his expected departure has accelerated as a result of the Gracia debacle.

In a statement confirming Orta’s exit, Radrizzani said: ‘I am deeply saddened by the way that this chapter closes as Victor has been responsible for some of the best moments of my time as owner of Leeds United and I thank him and his people for all they have done in the past six years.

‘However, it is clear that it is time to change direction and therefore we have agreed that Victor will leave the club. I understand supporters are hurt and upset, but now is a time for unity.

‘We have four cup finals left to play this season and working together, I believe we can survive.’

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