Integrity at stake over Jota bonus

WOLVES will receive a multimillion pound bonus from Liverpool as part of the Diogo Jota transfer if they win the Premier League on Sunday, raising concerns about the integrity of their match at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp’s side will take the title if they beat Wolves and Manchester City fail to win at home to Aston Villa, and may draw confidence from

the fact the visiting club have a financial incentive to under perform. Jota signed for Liverpool in a deal worth up to £45million in September 2020, but Wolves received just £4m up front, with much of the fee dependent on the player’s and the buying club’s subsequent performances. Liverpool have since paid a further £13m in instalments and another payment would be due if Jota (right) wins his first Premier League title. Wolves will take more prize money the higher they finish in the table, however. They are fighting Leicester City, Crystal Palace and Brighton for eighth place, so they also have an incentive to beat Liverpool. Performance-related payments are increasingly commonplace in transfers that are not triggered by a release clause, as the trading clubs are left to haggle over the fee structure — with the Jota deal complicated by a fixture list that has sent Wolves to Liverpool with the title up for grabs on the final day.