Man Utd stars including £500k-a-week Sanchez LOSE 25% of their wages as they miss out on top four spot… and failure costs Pogba £1.8MILLION qualification bonus
- Manchester United’s 1-1 draw at Huddersfield ruled them out of top four spot
- Many of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side now have to accept huge wage decrease
- Paul Pogba’s heavily incentivised contract is one of the most affected at the club
- Pay cut could increase chances of midfielder leaving for Real Madrid in summer
Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield ruled out the possibility of Champions League football, meaning a number of stars will see their pay cut drastically.
The majority of contracts negotiated at Old Trafford include a clause that sees players lose 25 per cent of their wage for finishing outside the top four.
Chelsea’s victory over Watford, combined with United’s failure to pick up three points against the relegated Terriers will hit a number of players in the pocket.
Alexis Sanchez will see a massive £125,000 chunk of his weekly wage disappear
The failure to qualify for the Champions League will also hit Paul Pogba hard
Paul Pogba’s £300,000-a-week contract is heavily incentivised and the Frenchman will be one of the most affected players.
He stands to lose out on £1.8million with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side settling for Europa League football next season.
According to figures divulged in Football Leaks: The Dirty Business of Football, Pogba’s annual salary is garnished with an extra £1.875million per year with Champions League qualification.
They also report that his commercial rights go from £2.87m to £3.125m with a seat in the elite club competition.
United midfielder Pogba could end up at Real Madrid and has been linked with a move
And of course Pogba isn’t the only player hit with a reduction. Alexis Sanchez sees his enormous £500,000-a-week salary cut by £125,000 to £375,000 if he remains at the club.
Both men have been linked with the exit door this summer and the wage reductions could increase the likelihood of departure.
Real Madrid hold doubts about the enormous outlay it would take to lure Paul Pogba to the Bernabeu but the drop in pay at United could now boost negotiations and work in Zinedine Zidane’s favour.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have to deal with a massive drop in revenue having failed to finish in the top four and the wage reductions are put in place to protect the club.
Other team such as Manchester City and Arsenal take a different approach, incentivising Champions League football with increases rather than implementing a protectionist system.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will have to deal with a large reduction to their revenue
Failure to reach the Champions League this year could cost United as much as £65m in lost TV revenue and prize money.
Their kit deal with adidas is also cut by 30 per cent if they fail to make the cut for two successive seasons. Missing out this year will cost the Old Trafford club more than £20m of their £750m deal with the sponsor.
The club are open about wage reductions and reveal all the information in annual publication of accounts.
Given the dreadful run of form United have been on in recent weeks, many believe a squad overhaul is needed.
But the lack of Champions League football will hurt the club in both generating money for new additions and luring top stars to Manchester.
