EXCLUSIVE: Fulham's pursuit of Nigel Pearson hits snag over his assistants

Founder & Managing Director AUTHORITY Former chief correspondent at Evening Standard, Goal and Press Association with nearly three decades in national, regional and digital news and sports journalism. Wayne directs the network’s news strategy and high-level operations. FOCUS Editorial direction for the 11-site network and newsroom management. THE BRIEF Wayne oversees the network’s editorial standards across the network. He provides the final sign-off on all headline scoops, ensuring content across all platforms meets the standards required for a high-velocity newsroom.

Published on:

20 Nov 2015, 12:19 pm

By Editor Wayne Veysey| Former Evening Standard, Press Association and Goal chief correspondent with 17 years experience of breaking big stories, including exclusives like this

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Fulham's hopes of appointing Nigel Pearson as their next manager have been hampered by his former club Leicester,

Football Insider

sources understand. Pearson has held talks with Fulham over the vacant post but a deal is not close due to the cost of the assistants he wants to take to Craven Cottage. Steve Walsh and Craig Shakespeare, Pearson's long-time assistants, have remained on the backroom staff at Walkers Stadium following Claudio Ranieri's summer appointment and are unwilling to drop to the Championship unless the Londoners can match their lucrative Leicester deals. A senior Leicester source has told

Football Insider

that the pair's contracts include a 100 per cent bonus - effectively doubling their salary - if the club retain their Premier League status. With Leicester third in the table after collecting 25 points from their opening 12 matches, Walsh and Shakespeare are almost certain to double their money at the end of the season. The cost of appointing Pearson and the duo is prohibitive for Fulham and a well-placed source from Craven Cottage has told

Football Insider

that the Londoners are now ready to move on to other targets and bide their time before making an appointment. Peter Grant will take charge of the team for Saturday's clash against MK Dons, and will be assisted by Alan Curbishley.

U-turn: Steve Clarke has decided to remain at Reading

The halted pursuit of Pearson comes at the end of what has been a dramatic pursuit of a manager to replace Kit Symons, who was sacked 12 days ago. Steve Clarke had agreed the terms of a contract with Fulham before making a U-turn and deciding to remain at Reading. Pearson, who had been the original first-choice candidate, then held a second round of talks with the Londoners but an agreement has not been reached. Symons was dismissed following Fulham's defeat to Birmingham before the international break

which left the Cottagers 12th in the Championship table, eight points off the play-off places. Khan said he wanted to take the west London club "to a higher level of success" as they seek a return to the Premier League following relegation in 2014.

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