Manchester United new boy Casemiro will see his wages drop if the club fail to reach the Champions League this season, it has been claimed.
The Brazilian midfielder was lured to Old Trafford in the final weeks of the summer transfer window in a deal that could end up reaching £70million if various add-ons are met. Erik ten Hag turned his attention to the Real Madrid lynchpin after it became clear that Barcelona playmaker Frenkie de Jong had no desire to move to the Premier League.
It was reported at the time that Casemiro was set to pocket a huge pay increase as a result of his move to United. However, it has now been revealed that the 30-year-old's wages have only seen a modest increase - and they could even drop next year depending on how the club perform on the pitch.
The Athletic has outlined that Casemiro only received a 'slight raise' in salary compared to what he was earning in Spain. And his pay packet is likely to drop back to the amount he was previously earning if Manchester United fail to reach their objectives this season, namely Champions League qualification.
Casemiro has been eased into life in the Premier League following his switch from Los Blancos, with Ten Hag utilising Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay as a midfield pairing in recent weeks.
But the multi-time Champions League winner was handed his first start on Thursday night in the Europa League defeat to Real Sociedad and will more than likely be integrated into Ten Hag's starting XI in the coming weeks.
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Casemiro's situation is not uncommon and he would not be the first Manchester United play to see their pay pocket drop if objectives are not met; Cristiano Ronaldo was reportedly hit with a similar clause in the wake of the club's calamitous campaign last year.
It has been claimed that the Portuguese superstar saw his mega-bucks salary slashed after United limped to a sixth-placed finish under the guidance of interim boss Ralf Rangnick.
And players will not be the only ones counting the cost if United fail to find a route back to Europe's top table this season under Ten Hag, who has been backed significantly in the transfer market in a bid to stop the rot at Old Trafford.
It was pointed out earlier this summer that the club's lucrative 10-year sponsorship agreement with Adidas, which is said to be worth in the region of £750m, would be cut by a staggering 30 per cent if United fail to qualify for the Champions League again - a drop of around £22.5m.
