ARSENAL PAY CUTS!

Stars’ wages will drop 25 per cent if they go down

ARSENAL players face drastic pay cuts if they are relegated from the Premier league.

Several players will be obliged to take 25 per cent reductions if the unthinkable happens and the gunners — who are 15th in the table — drop out of the top flight.

Such clauses are common at smaller clubs, who are expected to face a greater threat of relegation. But even arsenal — who are one of English football’s traditional Big Six and were hoping to be in the mix for Champions league qualification this season — have pre- empted the financial chaos relegation would cause and have included pay- cut clauses in player contracts.

The north london club’s annual wage bill is more than £150million, with the likes of Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick aubameyang among the best-paid players in England. It is unclear whether the 25 per cent figure is a

club-wide stance, but many players are known to be facing that percentage reduction in the event of relegation. The Gunners are four points above the relegation zone, having gained just two points from their last seven League games. The prospect of them facing a fight to stay in the top division would, in normal circumstances, be unthinkable. But their poor start to the season and manager Mikel Arteta’s struggle to arrest their slide down the table has raised fears they could be dragged into a relegation battle. Arsenal host Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this evening, and the EFL announced last night that this season’s final would be pushed back. The game, originally scheduled for February 28, will now take place at 4pm on Sunday, April 25, in the hope of being able to welcome supporters to Wembley. The EFL said: ‘The number of fans permitted will be dependent on Government guidance in place at the time and it is hoped that moving the date to later in the year will give clubs and their fans the best opportunity to attend in person.’ The decision follows the introduction of new Tier 4 restrictions in large parts of south-eastern and eastern England at the weekend. In Tiers 3 and 4 spectators are barred from attending matches. Brentford host Newcastle in tonight’s other quarter-final, with Stoke v Tottenham and Everton v Manchester United taking place tomorrow.