MANCHESTER UNITED players are taking legal advice over missed pay rises that would cost them up to a combined £50million if coronavirus KOs the season.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad were due to be awarded 25 per cent pay hikes if they qualified for the Champions League.
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A host of other top-flight clubs have bonuses inserted in certain players’ contracts, paying out up to £500,000 in bonuses for reaching Europe’s elite competition.
But Man Utd stars are set to lose more than any other club – as European participation is intrinsically linked to their basic pay – and are speaking with lawyers, claim the Daily Mail.
Should the season be cancelled and deemed void, players could be forced to go without as they currently sit in a qualification spot.
Man Utd currently sit fifth in the Premier League – but would qualify thanks to neighbours City’s two-year European ban.
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However, Man City could yet appeal the ban and have it overturned with the process being held up by coronavirus.
With that in mind, Man Utd know their best chance to secure bumper pay-days is to simply breach the top-four.
And they have every chance of doing so, too – sitting just three points behind Chelsea in fourth spot with nine games to play and the Blues suffering a real dip in form going into the lockdown.
Other clubs could follow suit in seeking legal advice too.
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Teams outside the top six regularly offer places bonuses of up to £500,000 for Champions League qualification.
However, that bonus is subject to stars playing in at least 70 per cent of games – or 27 matches.
With clubs currently sitting on 28 or 29 games played, many stars will not have reached the magic 27-game mark due to injuries, suspensions or simply not being selected.
