Crisis club Malaga have invited boss Manuel Pellegrini to thrash out a contract agreement for him to leave La Rosaleda.
A report in Mundo Deportivo claims the Chilean is one of the club’s highest earners and they would like to get him off the payroll in similar fashion to director of football Antonio Fernandez, who departed on Wednesday.
Malaga owner Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani has put Los Blanquiazules up for sale amid mounting debts and the board are now trying to raise some much-needed cash to satisfy creditors including Villarreal, Osasuna and former proprietors the Sanz family.
It is understood there has already been a meeting between the club and Pellegrini’s representative Jesus Martinez to try and reach some sort of compromise, while it is expected there will be further discussions in the next few days.
Pellegrini could the first of many to depart, with midfielder Santi Cazorla widely expected to sign for Arsenal and Isco, Ignacio Monreal, Jose Salomon Rondon and Jeremy Toulalan all set for moves as the dream of a first-ever Champions League appearance this season looks like turning sour.
However, the club has finally broken its silence on the issue and issued a statement denying the owner has withdrawn his financial backing, stating the current financial uncertainty is an attempt to comply with financial fair play regulations.
It read: “Malaga Football Club has started a process of internal restructuring within the organisation to adapt to the standards of financial fair play, with the intention of guaranteeing the self-sufficiency and sustainability of the organisation.
“This process does not mean the current owners have refused any type of investment.
“It will involve some changes in the organisational entity of the club and will make the organisation stronger in the future.”
