Tottenham players will suffer a huge hit to their earnings if the club is relegated this season. It was unthinkable before this season that Spurs would actually find themselves embroiled in a relegation dogfight, even with their 17th-place finish last term as a result of an injury crisis.
Yet, after two managerial dismissals and 32 matches played, Tottenham sit 18th in the Premier League and two points adrift of safety. Even the recent arrival of manager Roberto De Zerbi has failed to spark a turnaround, as the Lilywhites slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland at the weekend, officially dropping into the relegation zone for the first time. With captain Cristian Romero limping off the pitch in tears, there is precious little for supporters to feel encouraged about regarding a side that has not claimed a single Premier League victory in 2026. However, the players still have considerable motivation to dig deep across the remaining six fixtures — not just for the sake of their professional pride but for their bank balances too.
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Spurs bosses have put in place a strict financial contingency plan that would see their high-earning squad take a substantial wage cut should they drop down to the Championship. Were the unthinkable to occur, players remaining at the club could see their weekly wages reduced by as much as 50 per cent, according to The Athletic. For example, summer signing Xavi Simons and captain Romero would face the steepest wage reductions, with their current £195,000 deals each dropping to £97,500 per week.
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This 'relegation protection' clause exists to safeguard the club's financial stability. It is understood to be a significantly higher reduction than the standard industry average, which usually sees players lose around 20 to 30 per cent of their salary following a drop to the English second tier.
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Players would have been fully aware of such clauses linked to poor performances on the pitch when originally putting pen to paper at the club. The measure would also relieve Spurs of any immediate pressure to hastily sell players in the event of relegation — though there remains a very real possibility that a number of players would refuse to accept such a dramatic reduction in their pay packet and could push for a transfer elsewhere.
Express Sport now takes a look at Spurs' wage bill in comparison to what it could look like by the summer following a 50 per cent decrease on all player earnings, with the current 2026/27 payroll figures provided by Spotrac:
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Xavi Simons: £195,000 > £97,500
Cristian Romero: £195,000 > £97,500
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James Maddison: £170,000 > £85,000
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Conor Gallagher: £160,000 > £80,000
Mohamed Kudus: £150,000 > £75,000
Dominic Solanke: £140,000 > £70,000
Dejan Kulusevski: £110,000 > £55,000
Micky van de Ven: £90,000 > £45,000
Richarlison: £90,000 > £45,000
Pedro Porro: £85,000 > £42,500
Radu Dragusin: £85,000 > £42,500
Guglielmo Vicario: £75,000 > £37,500
Destiny Udogie: £75,000 > £37,500
Archie Gray: £75,000 > £37,500
Pape Sarr: £70,000 > £35,000
Kevin Danso: £65,000 > £32,500
Manor Solomon: £60,000 > £30,000
Lucas Bergvall: £60,000 > £30,000
Mathys Tel: £55,000 > £27,500
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Djed Spence: £40,000 > £20,000