Mark Chapman is reportedly ânot a fan of the ideaâ of sharing the Match of the Day presenter job alongside female co-presenter Kelly Somers.
Gary Linekerâs departure from Match of the Day at the end of the season has been confirmed by the BBC and Chapman is the early bookiesâ favourite to replace him.
It has now emerged via The Sun that BBC bosses are keen on a job share with Chapman, 51, allegedly âflatly refusingâ to split the role with Somers, 33.
Chapman, who currently hosts Match of the Day 2, is thought to have made his feelings clear on the matter to BBC Sport Director Alex Kay-Jelski.
Nicknamed âChappersâ, Chapman began his broadcasting career in 1996 and has established himself as one of the highest-rated sports presenters on UK television.
Somers has not been on the broadcasting scene as long as Chapman â having only started out on Premier League Productions in more recent years after leaving AFC Bournemouthâs media department â but she has quickly jumped up the ranks.
She has earned prominent roles on the BBC, Channel 4 and Amazon Prime covering the England national team as well as the Premier League.
âAs soon as Gary [Lineker]âs deal was done, [the BBC Sport Director] made it clear he wanted Mark and Kelly to replace him,â a source told The Sun newspaper.
âIt would effectively be a job share and they would rotate hosting duties between them.
âMark has made it clear within the team at MOTD that this isnât something he would want to do.
âHe doesnât want a job share, he wants Garyâs role as his own, which is understandable.
âItâs a headache for the BBC because they thought theyâd found an easy solution.
âItâs back to the drawing board and negotiations are ongoing.â
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