Ten Hag will land huge bonus if he leads Man Utd back into Champions League due to savvy clauses in £175k-a-week deal
ERIK TEN HAG will collect a £3million bonus if he leads Manchester United back into the Champions League.
Yet that is still only a fraction of what United face missing out on if they fail to make Europe’s elite club competition for a second year on the run.
Ten Hag’s £9m-a-year salary is only HALF the amount Pep Guardiola earns with champions and cross-town rivals Manchester City.
But the Dutchman’s contract is loaded with incentives which will leave him laughing all the way to the bank if he can clinch a top-four finish.
United are facing a £90m black hole if they miss out on a spot at Europe’s top table again after last year’s nightmare campaign.
Under the terms of their £75m-a-season, ten-year sponsorship deal with shirt maker adidas, they will forfeit £25m if they miss out on the Champions League for a second year straight.
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And they would suffer another huge financial blow from principal shirt sponsor Team Viewer, who built significant performance-related bonuses into their £47m-a-year tie-up.
A number of other secondary sponsors also have agreements linked to United playing against the continent’s best clubs.
On top of that, there is the potential loss of millions in television revenue, prize money and gate receipts.
And they are already seeing the impact a lack of Champions League football is having when it comes to the transfer market.
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Their bid to sign Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong has become a summer-long saga, while Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave with United in the Europa League this season.
If Ronaldo does get his wish – although there has so far been little interest – that could also leave United facing a six-figure loss.
Old Trafford sources insist a “significant volume” of fans who have bought the new home shirt want the Portuguese superstar’s name on the back.
Yet supporters have also contacted the club about a refund or replacement top if the 37-year-old does leave.
Ronaldo’s image was used in all the promotional literature for the kit launch, which was done well in advance of his “I want out” bombshell.
Paul Pogba joined Juventus last week after running down his deal at United, leaving Ronaldo even further out on his own in terms of personalised shirt sales.
A United insider said: “People have been turning up at the megastore asking where they stand on a potential exchange if Ronaldo does go?
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“United did right by supporters last year when he took over the No7 shirt, but with the greatest respect to Edinson Cavani, we’re talking completely different levels here.”
Last season fans who had bought Cavani shirts from United Direct or the megastore were granted an exchange – but this time around it could leave United seriously out of pocket.