Ten Hag will land a huge bonus if he brings Man Utd back to the Champions League due to savvy clauses in a £175,000-a-week deal
ERIK TEN HAG will pick up a £3million bonus if he brings Manchester United back to the Champions League.
Yet that’s still only a fraction of what United risk missing out on if they fail to make it into Europe’s elite club competition for a second consecutive year.
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Ten Hag’s £9m-a-year salary is only HALF the amount Pep Guardiola earns with champions and long-distance rivals Manchester City.
But the Dutchman’s contract is loaded with incentives that will have him laughing all the way to the bank if he can clinch a top-four spot.
United face a £90m black hole if they miss out on a place at the top of Europe again after last year’s nightmarish campaign.
Under the terms of their ten-year, £75m-a-season sponsorship deal with shirt maker adidas, they will lose £25m if they miss out on the Champions League for a second consecutive year.
And they would take another huge financial hit from main shirt sponsor Team Viewer, who have baked in significant performance-related bonuses into their £47million-a-year tie-up.
A number of other secondary sponsors also have deals linked to United playing against the continent’s top clubs.
On top of that is the potential loss of millions of dollars in television revenue, prize money and box office revenue.
And they are already seeing the impact of a lack of Champions League football on the transfer market.
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Their attempt to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona has become a summer saga, while Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave with United in the Europa League this season.
If Ronaldo gets his wish – although there has been little interest so far – it could also leave United facing a six-figure loss.
Sources at Old Trafford 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 over a refund or replacement top if the 37-year-old leaves.
Ronaldo’s image was used in all promotional material for the kit launch, which was done long before his ‘I want out’ bombshell.
Paul Pogba joined Juventus last week after canceling his contract with United, leaving Ronaldo even more alone in terms of custom shirt sales.
A United insider said: “People showed up at the megastore asking where they stand on a potential swap if Ronaldo is going?
“United faced the fans well last year when they took over the No.7 shirt, but with the utmost respect for Edinson Cavani, we are talking about completely different levels here.”
Fans last season who bought Cavani shirts from United Direct or the megastore have been granted a swap – but this time around it could leave United seriously out of pocket.