Erling Haaland could miss out on a big payday if he chooses to stay at Man City after their drop, as an important decision is coming up.
Erling Haaland and his Man City teammates might miss out on a big payday if they stay at the club and it gets relegated from the Premier League because of breaking financial rules. City will play their first Premier League game this weekend since most of the charges against them were found true for rule-breaking between 2009 and 2018—the time when they won three Premier League titles. They will face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, October 11.
So far, no City player has spoken about the verdict, but their agents are probably asking what will happen next. If the decision stands after City’s appeal, they could face punishments like league suspension, losing points, replaying matches, being kicked out, paying other clubs, automatic relegation, or even losing titles.
If City does get relegated, most top players might leave. Haaland, for example, is already being linked to Arsenal and Barcelona. He earns £500,000 a week and doesn’t have a clause that lets him leave if the team goes down, but he might think about his options since he’d lose out on all the bonuses if City drops to the Championship.
During the international break, Haaland wasn’t available for media, but he’ll likely be asked about this soon. According to the Daily Mail, City players’ contracts include a basic salary, a bonus for qualifying for the Champions League, and a bonus based on how many minutes they play in a season. Thanks to City’s recent success, most bonuses were usually paid, but the minutes-played bonus only counts in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup. If City gets relegated, these bonuses wouldn’t apply, which could cost top players a lot since their wages are about 60-75% basic salary and the rest bonuses.
The Premier League found City guilty of 114 out of 115 charges. They said City used fake contracts to make their income look bigger and reduce costs and had secret deals worth over £830 million with partners. The investigation also found that some club witnesses lied or gave false evidence.
City appealed the verdict and say they are not guilty, claiming they have strong evidence to prove it. The appeal will be reviewed by a three-person panel and should take up to 12 weeks, with a decision expected within 30 days after.
Stay tuned for updates as this story develops!