Man Utd players take legal advice over pay cut

Manchester United players are considering taking legal action should they fail to be given a 25 percent pay rise should the Premier League season be brought to a premature end.

The league is currently suspended due to the coronavirus, and there is no indication about when English football will resume. If the season does not finish before the end of June, it may cost Premier League clubs hundreds of millions of pounds as they fail to meet sponsorship and broadcasting contractual obligations.

It means that United players may not be entitled to a 25 percent pay rise that they are entitled to if they achieve Champions League qualification. European competition is also suspended, meaning that they have had both of their avenues to automatic Champions League qualification curtailed unless or until the suspensions are lifted.

However, United currently sit in fifth in the Premier League which would mean that they will go into the Europa League next season. There is a chance that places could be awarded if the positions are decided on a coefficient basis on past seasons, but it seems that either the previous positions from last year will be used, or where they currently stand in the league table.

There is a possible reprieve for the players, reports the Daily Mail, as they could benefit from the punishment handed down to Manchester City, which could yet be enforced after an appeal is heard. They have been suspended from European football for two seasons by UEFA and could face further punishment by the Premier League due to accounting and financial irregularities.

Nevertheless, there is a decent chance that United players will continue on a depressed ordinary salary because as things stand they have not met the contractual milestones that would entitle them to be rewarded. What do you think? We all are desperately interested here.