By Ross Gregory
DAVE WHELAN will today announce Roberto Martinez is STAYING on as Wigan manager.
And that has opened the door for Swansea’s Brendan Rodgers to become Liverpool’s next boss.
Martinez was hot favourite to replace Kenny Dalglish at Anfield and met Kop owner John W Henry last week for talks.
But Latics owner Whelan has pulled off a sensational coup in talking the Spaniard into remaining at the DW Stadium, with the promise of a huge cash injection.
That will see Martinez being given a new contract, a serious transfer kitty and fresh terms for his backroom team.
Yet while it is a huge boost for Wigan, the news is another embarrassment for Liverpool whose managerial search has seen Henry’s Fenway Sports Group widely ridiculed.
Whelan broke cover a week ago to reveal he had given Martinez the green light for talks with the Reds’ American owners.
But he always insisted he had not given up on keeping the 38-year-old and yesterday turned his guns on the Kop by claiming they had no idea who they actually wanted.
With Martinez out of the running, Rodgers will be strong favourite to land a job seen by many as a poisoned chalice.
Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp was also heavily backed yesterday but German sources insist he will not be moving.
Frank de Boer declined the chance of an interview, while fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal claims he is close to landing a senior management role at Anfield.
