IPSWICH TOWN are set to make in-demand Kieran McKenna one of the best-paid managers in the Premier League to keep him.
The 38-year-old has a host of clubs chasing his services after he guided the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Brighton have all made tentative enquiries over hot-property McKenna.
He was already pocketing around £1.2million-a-year, which was one of the highest salaries in the Championship.
Now we have revealed how Ipswich’s desperate board are fighting hard to hang on to him and are offering him a stunning new contract worth £5m-a-year over the next four seasons.
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And despite never managing a game in top-flight football before, that would put McKenna right up near the top when it comes to the pay packets for Premier League bosses.
Pep Guardiola justified his £20m-a-year wages by following up last season’s Treble success by leading Manchester City to a fourth-straight title this term.
Mauricio Pochettino held the honour of being the second best paid boss in the Premier League with an annual salary of £10.4m before his Chelsea exit last week.
And it remains to be seen exactly what his replacement Enzo Maresca will get as terms continue to be thrashed out.
Poch’s departure now moves Arsenal’s Mikrel Arteta, who finished just behind Guardiola’s City, into second in the standings for now.
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Erik ten Hag, whose future at Manchester United is also in doubt, pockets £9m-a-year while Liverpool’s new manager Arne Slot has penned a deal worth £6.85m annually.
And as we exclusively revealed, Unai Emery is now on £8m annually after penning an extension at Aston Villa following Champions League qualification.
But that is where McKenna will come in - joining the likes of Everton’s Sean Dyche and Tottenham’s Ange Postecoglou in the £5m-a-year bracket.
As well as Chelsea, both Brighton and West Ham are looking for new managers.
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And that could also mean some more names going in towards the top of the pay table.
According to figures published by Give Me Sport, it is Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola that was least paid this season in the top-flight.
The Spaniard was on £1m-a-year - but he could have secured himself a pay rise.
The Cherries announced that he has just signed an extension until at least the end of the 2025-26 season after securing a club-record Premier League points total in his first campaign.
Both relegated Burnley boss Vincent Kompany and Luton’s Rob Edwards were on £2m annually, while bottom club Sheffield United’s boss Chris Wilder’s wages were unknown.
It remains to be seen whether Russell Martin at Southampton will secure himself a pay rise at Saints after their play-off success.
And fans will also be excited to see where the coach that Leicester get to take over from Maresca will feature on the pay list come the big kick-off in August.
