Arsenal players are reportedly set to face a radical pay cut if they are relegated from the Premier League.
Several players will be obliged to take 25% reductions if the unthinkable happens and Mikel Arteta's side, who are currently 15th in the table and four points clear of the relegation zone, drop out of the top flight.
Clauses that involve wage reductions are common at smaller clubs, who are expected to face a greater threat of dropping out of a league.
However, Arsenal, who are considered one of the Premier League's 'big-six clubs', had hoped to compete for European qualification - ideally to be in the mix for the Champions League places.
The Daily Mail reports that Arsenal have forestalled the financial chaos that relegation would cause and have now included pay-cut clauses in player contracts.
The North London club's annual wage bill is more than £150m, with the likes of German midfielder Mesut Ozil and Gabonese captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang among the highest-paid players in England.
Oliver Thomas
