Wigan have been given permission to speak to Roberto Martinez about their managerial vacancy after a compensation deal was agreed with Swansea.
The Latics have turned to the Swans boss, who was also a reported target of Celtic, after the previous incumbent Steve Bruce was yesterday confirmed as the new manager of Sunderland.
Martinez spent six years as a player at the Lancashire club until 2001.
He has seen his stock soar since guiding Swansea to the verge of the play-offs in the English Championship, the league below the Premier League, just 12 months after winning the title of the division below.
A statement from the Latics read: "Wigan can announce that it has been given permission by Swansea to speak to their manager Roberto Martinez about the vacant manager's position.
"A compensation deal has also been agreed and now Wigan chief executive Brenda Spencer will meet with Roberto as soon as possible to try to agree a deal to bring him to the club.
"As chairman Dave Whelan stated yesterday, Roberto is our number one choice and we are delighted to have permission to speak with him."
Swansea have also confirmed the talks will go ahead after Whelan met their valuation.
The club said in a statement: "Swansea City can confirm that they have reluctantly given Wigan Athletic permission to speak to Roberto Martinez about the vacant manager's position at the JJB Stadium.
"Permission was granted when Wigan's offer of compensation reached the appropriate level set by Swansea City, and was only given when taking into account Roberto's own wishes."
Wigan owner Whelan has made no secret of his admiration for the work done by Martinez at Liberty Stadium.
The Spaniard, 35, held talks with the Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins last night when he was expected to voice his preference for the JJB Stadium over Parkhead.
Celtic made an approach for Martinez last week, but Whelan told Sky Sports News he was hopeful that an emotional attachment would take him back to the north-west.
"He was one of my 'Three Amigos' when I brought three lads in 10-12 years ago (the others were Jesus Seba and Isidro Diaz) and they revolutionised the football at Wigan."
* PA Sport
Switching%20sides
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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RACECARD
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (PA) $50,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
6.35pm: Festival City Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
7.10pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic – Listed (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.45pm: Jumeirah Classic Trial – Conditions (TB) $150,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (D) 1,600m
8.55pm: Cape Verdi – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Dubai Dash – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,000m
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Day 1 fixtures (Saturday)
Men 1.45pm, Malaysia v Australia (Court 1); Singapore v India (Court 2); UAE v New Zealand (Court 3); South Africa v Sri Lanka (Court 4)
Women Noon, New Zealand v South Africa (Court 3); England v UAE (Court 4); 5.15pm, Australia v UAE (Court 3); England v New Zealand (Court 4)
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)