Leeds United relegation release clauses detailed by Phil Hay with ‘major’ cost-cutting on the cards
A number of Leeds United players have relegation clauses in their contracts with some “major” cost-cutting set to take place at Elland Road should they fail to remain in the Premier League, according to Phil Hay.
It’s been another campaign of turmoil for Leeds, currently on their third manager in Sam Allardyce, after the sackings of Jesse March and Javi Gracia and embroiled in another tense relegation dogfight.
With just three games remaining in the season, the Whites face a tough battle to survive, currently sitting in 19th place on 30 points and two away from safety.
And speaking on his The Phil Hay show, the Athletic journalist [12 May] has detailed some potential worrying ramifications should they suffer relegation.
He said: [24m:22s] “There’s no director of football at the moment. There’s no head coach beyond Allardyce for these four games.
“If Leeds United get relegated, there are players who have relegation release clauses in their contracts, which means if clubs meet a certain valuation, they can sign them.
“They have the right to take them on. There will be major wage reductions if Leeds go down. There are players with contracts that’ll see their wages fall by 50 or 60 per cent, which has to be done. You cannot carry the same wage bill in the Championship as you do in the Premier League.”
Time to prove worth
Leeds United are in dire straits right now and quite simply need to pick up a result this weekend to keep their Premier League survival chances alive.
And going off on Hay’s comments, the Whites have certainly taken the initiative and protected themselves financially if they are to suffer relegation from the Premier League at the end of the season.
Enforcing clauses in regards to the players losing their wages should that happen is the right way to go as the club could suffer financially if many of their big players remain on huge wage packages.
It’s an incentive for the players to try their utmost in steering the club away from such a needless and terrible position, as no footballer would want to suffer a decrease in their wages.
The club board have left the ball in the player’s courts with these relegation clauses and it makes perfect sense as the financial state of the whole club is simply paramount in these instances.
With just three games to go, however, it’s now or never for these players. One or two players must drag the club out of the mire and prove they are worth their wages in gold.
In other Leeds news, four players ruled out by Sam Allardyce for Premier League clash v Newcastle.