Caley Thistle’s directors are working on a severance package for manager John Hughes following a breakdown of his relationship with Inverness chairman Kenny Cameron.
Following several weeks of increasingly fractious disputes about the playing budget for next season, the relationship between the chairman and his manager has broken down completely, with the pair believed to be no longer on speaking terms.
Hughes is under contract until 2018, but the two parties are negotiating an agreement that will end the former Falkirk and Hibernian manager’s stay in the Highlands.
Hughes’ imminent departure will leave Caley Jags searching for a new manager, just 12 months after winning the Scottish Cup, with the former Celtic defender having also led the club into the Europa League for the first time after a third-place Premiership finish.
Hughes has repeatedly spoken of his frustration at the loss of key players, claiming he has not been given the backing required to replace them with recruits of a similar standard.
Those comments did not go down well among the club’s directors and Cameron expressed his disappointment at the team’s failure to finish in the Premiership top six and claimed his manager had been given the largest budget in Caley Jags’ 22-year history.
Hughes had made a new contract for leading-scorer Miles Storey his summer priority following a successful season-long loan from Swindon Town, during which the English attacker scored 13 goals in 36 appearances.
But Inverness were priced out of a permanent move for Storey, with the 22-year-old opting to sign a two-year contract with Premiership rivals Aberdeen on Tuesday.
Former Celtic assistant manager John Collins, who previously worked as Hughes’ director of football at Livingston, claims his former colleague would be a major loss for the Highlanders, and even said Hughes should be in the running to replace Ronny Deila as Hoops manager.
Collins said: “John Hughes has done an unbelievable job at Inverness. He took on a team that was a long-ball side which played no football and he very quickly moulded them into a total football team.
“They got to the League Cup final in his first season and lost on penalty kicks against Aberdeen.
“In the second season they beat Celtic in the semi-final and won the Scottish Cup. On top of that he has sold players and made players better.
“What he has done with average players, no support, no training ground, no sports science and no video analysis is incredible. If Inverness lose John then it will be a huge loss to them.
“How his name hasn’t been mentioned for the Celtic job I don’t know.
“Do you make players better? Do you make teams better? Do you play a brand of football that is entertaining? John Hughes ticks all those boxes.
“He did us a great favour by beating Aberdeen twice and drawing with them at important moments in the season.
“He proved he can make teams better. His sides play entertaining football with no money and no supporters so why not?”