West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini would reportedly be due almost £15m in compensation should he be sacked by the club.
Pellegrini is still searching for his first point since replacing David Moyes at the London Stadium, having lost all four Premier League matches at the helm so far.
However, The Times reports that West Ham failed to include a termination clause in the Chilean's contract, meaning that the deal would have to be paid up in full unless the two parties could agree on a severance package.
The Hammers made Pellegrini one of the highest-paid managers in the Premier League in order to prise him away from Hebei China Fortune in the summer, offering him a £5m salary which could rise to £7m if certain performance criteria are met.
West Ham also spent almost £100m in the transfer market in addition to handing free signing Jack Wilshere a lucrative contract, but they are yet to see any return for their investment.
The club's board are understood to be willing to give Pellegrini time to turn things around, although their next three Premier League games after the international break come against Everton, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Barney Corkhill
