Joe Kinnear will collect a £1 million bonus if Newcastle United beat the drop, even though he will miss the next two months after heart surgery.
The Mail on Sunday says the money is part of a complex wage deal agreed since Kinnear took over the ailing club last September in a caretaker capacity.
And it will be paid whether or not the 62- year-old, who has been in hospital since last Saturday after suffering heart problems, recovers in time to replace his stand-ins Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood.