Ten may have snared Lisa Wilkinson to host The Project for 2018, however, if media reports over the weekend are to be believed it could well lose current host, Waleed Aly, in the process.

Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph has reported that Aly is “in talks” with the ABC as a possible replacement for Leigh Sales on its nightly current affairs show 7.30.

What’s to become of Sales – reported to be on $400,000 a year at the national broadcaster – is unclear, however, she could well chase the big bucks over to the commercial networks as did her 7.30 colleague Chris Uhlmann did when he jumped to Nine in September. It would appear Ten has the budget to snare top talent.

According to the reports in The Tele, Aly – who actually started his career at the ABC – now considers The Project “a little beneath him” and is “over” the lightweight news show. However, he may need to take a pay cut to jump ship. Aly is on a reported $500,000 a year at Ten, a whole $100,000 more than Sales who is said to be the ABC’s highest on-air personality.

The Tele quotes friends of the 39-year-old Aly who says he regards himself as an intellectual whose style is more befitting a serious current affairs show the likes of the ABC. As yet there has been no confirmation from either the ABC or Aly himself about a possible move.

It’s not the first time than Aly has been linked to the ABC – Pauline Hanson previously claimed that the ABC wanted to buy The Project from the embattled Ten Network for an eye-watering $10 million.