Fears of ‘mass exodus’ at Match of the Day as top pundits plot to FLEE amid ‘huge rows’ – and some may be gone in WEEKS

AUGUST. The month when Premier League clubs pounce on prized talent to tempt them to switch sides with mega contracts.

Except whispers in the hallowed halls of Match Of The Day suggest its not just footballers who are eyeing a big-money move.

[Three presenters for Match of the Day, two women and one man, posing with a vintage leather football.]

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[Alex Kay-Jelski, BBC Director of Sport, speaks into a BBC Sport branded microphone at the 2025/26 Football Season Launch.]

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We can reveal that the BBCs flagship football show, which returns this Saturday, maybe facing an exodus as its star pundits eye the door.

The Sun has learnt that new Director of BBC Sport Alex Kay-Jelski has clashed with a number of the team and insiders tell of rows among top brass and some of the shows biggest names.

The news comes just a year after Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan over the reins of MOTD from Gary Lineker.

A source said: There are very few happy campers on MOTD any more. It all comes down to Kay-Jelski, who is bringing in a number of changes. To some hes a tough grafter, an old school journalist, and is respected. But others just cant work like that.

A second source added: BBC bosses thought steadying the ship after Lineker left would be their toughest task and, for a while, there was lots of back-slapping about pulling off a seamless revival.

For the most part, the audience and the shows guests are more than happy with the trio at the top.

The problem is with Kay-Jelski and the panellists and there have been a number of clashes.

Workplace disagreements are par for the course especially when there are few other places ex-players can find punditry work.

[Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards smiling in front of a red background.]

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[Jimmy Hill, presenter of Match of the Day.]

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But this year thats all changed and now the grass is looking a hell of a lot greener elsewhere...

That green grass comes courtesy of MOTDs axed leader, Lineker. He left the BBC last year following a backlash over social media posts.

Since then his podcast The Rest Is Football has skyrocketed and was bought by Netflix for 14million to lead the streamers reporting for the World Cup during the summer.

Netflix has since secured the format throughout the coming Premier League season and is likely to extend the deal to take in the 2028 European Championships.

That, of course, has become a tantalising beacon of hope outside the walls of MOTD, which first aired in August 1964.

Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, who are both mainstays of the BBC flagship football show, juggled appearances on TRIF with their Beeb jobs during the World Cup.

Current analysts on MOTD also include former players Martin Keown, Dion Dublin, Shay Given, Stephen Warnock, Wayne Rooney, Steph Houghton and Theo Walcott.

Our source said: Seeing how The Rest Is Football panned out over the World Cup has got the big names thinking whether the grass is greener.

Theres the push of wanting out of MOTD and the pull of booming digital formats has got everyone talking.

Theres a real fear that MOTD could see a mass exodus and bosses should be worried.

[Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney on Match of the Day.]

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[Steph Houghton for Match of the Day.]

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The Rest Is Football is not the only new venture offering a place on the team for footie pundits.

Disney+ last week signed a one-year agreement to broadcast The Overlap networks Stick To Football podcast including a spin-off fronted by Wayne Rooney.

Stick To Football is hostedby Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott, Ian Wright, and Roy Keane.

Meanwhile, Stick To UnitedWith Wayne Rooney will be hosted by Wazza and Mark Goldbridge.

With the beautiful games legends being mopped up by huge media firms, other former players may well feel the time is right to move.

The Sun has learnt that former Spurs and Belgium player Toby Alderweireld is being lined up to join the pundits panel.

Kay-Jelski became the Beebs Director of Sport in April 2024 and immediately ruffled feathers with his progressive approach.

It meant that in the wake of Linekers departure, rank and file staff feared MOTD could go woke just like much-mocked sister show, Football Focus, which ran on the BBC for 52 years before being scrapped at the end of last season.

While our insiders insist MOTD is not a happy camp, a BBC spokesperson said: We have repeatedly told The Sun these anonymous claims are untrue and we look forward to bringing audiences the return of Match Of The Day this weekend with its established line-up of presenters and pundits alongside a host of new guest voices bringing fresh insight from inside the game.

For now, though, the likes of TRIF seem to be cleaning up.

[Former Belgium international Toby Alderweireld with a microphone.]

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Goalhanger named after ex-Spurs and England striker Linekers penchant for poaching has gone from strength to strength since its soft launch in 2014.

It was recently named as the UKs fastest growing company, and was the first podcast organisation to make a profit.

The company produces The Rest Is... series, including The Rest Is History pod, as well as The Rest Is Entertainment hosted by Richard Osman and Marina Hyde, and The Rest Is Politics, hosted by Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell.

The podcasts exploded in popularity following the pandemic, and together now have more than 750million listeners with an annual revenue of more than 15million.

But the BBC still won the battle for eyeballs during the World Cup.

The Football Daily show attracted up to 250,000 streams, compared with a peak of 140,000 for The Rest Is Football.

Whether the 60-year-old titan of football coverage can win the war all depends on the pundits considering a transfer this month.