VALAKARI WILL COME AT A COST FOR MOTHERWELL

MOTHERWELL have been warned they’ll face a hefty compensation bill if they today identify Simo Valakari as the man they want as their next boss. The 49-year-old former Fir Park favourite was one of four candidates interviewed by Zoom about the managerial vacancy yesterday — with the club poised to make its decision this morning. Sportsmail last week revealed that the current manager of Veikkausliiga leaders KuPS was one of the leading candidates to replace Graham Alexander. Valakari has frequently been linked with a move back to South Lanarkshire since his four-year playing stint there ended in 2000. If the Finn’s name emerges from the four-man shortlist, though, KuPS owner Ari Lahti has told them that they’ll have to match his valuation to make the deal happen. The investment banker said: ‘If a situation came up that Motherwell really wanted Simo, then a pretty significant compensation would probably be required. ‘As far as I understand, we are not in that situation yet and it’s a theoretical question. ‘Winning the title is worth at least one million euros to us. If we win the championship, we seriously bet on reaching the group stage of the Champions League next season. ‘The champions’ path to the group stage is significantly easier than others.’ KuPS are currently level on points at the top of the league with HJK, who have played a game more. There are five matches left of the regular season before the table splits and the top six sides play each other. Valakari played 119 times for Motherwell between 1996 and 2000 before moving to Derby County and has previously spoken about the difficulty Finnish coaches have in landing opportunities overseas. Acknowledging that the Motherwell job could be too good an opportunity for his manager to turn down, Lahti added: ‘If the situation comes up, we’ll see if a solution can be found that satisfies everyone. ‘The other side is that, just like with the players, we also want to help the coaches move forward. There has to be some balance for everyone. We have invested a lot in both Simo and the coaching team. ‘If the conductor of the orchestra were to leave, it would be difficult for the club.’ Stevie Hammell has taken temporary charge since Alexander left following a dismal Europa League defeat to Sligo Rovers. Ideally, Motherwell would like to make an announcement prior to this weekend’s game at Aberdeen. Meanwhile, Andy Dibble has left his post as Motherwell goalkeeper coach. The former Wales keeper, 57, joined this summer but moves on following the departure of Alexander. Scott Fox will take on the goalkeeper coach role on an interim basis.