Everton relegation clause will 'only affect some players'

Its been another tough campaign for Everton, with the prospect of relegation hanging over the club once again.

For many of their players, the drop to The Championship would not only dent their reputation, but also dent their salary packet - as a new report highlights.

According to The Telegraph, only some of Everton's star players will face a wage cut in the event that the club is relegated this season, with others managing to avoid that fate.

The report shed some light on some of the club's relegation clauses, which make for very interesting reading.

The likes Amadou Onana, Dwight McNeil and James Tarkowski, who all arrived at the club last summer, would all be at risk of seeing their salaries cut.

The prospect of relegation is all too real for Everton this season. Image: Alamy

Conversely, long-time servants such as Jordan Pickford, Yerry Mina and Dominic Calvert-Lewin would be set to avoid such clauses.

The reason for this? Simply put, Everton started factoring the possibility of relegation into their plans after last season's disastrous campaign.

The newly-introduced clauses make a great deal of sense for recruits given the financial hit that is suffered by clubs who do drop down into The Championship. Revenue streams are slashed as television and commercial deals shrink, leaving clubs in no choice but to sell valuable assets.

In the scenario that a club cannot move a big name on, they will sometimes be left stuck playing that player Premier League wages even if they aren't contributing to the side.

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Everton have already attracted the attention of the footballing authorities over financial irregularities this season. Having recorded a financial loss last month for the fifth consecutive year, the club was referred to an independent commission over an alleged breach of profitability and sustainability rules by the Premier League.

A source informed The Telegraph that the club has 'tried to be responsible' but the division in whose wages could potentially be slashed has created a 'strange situation'. Relegation is a very real prospect after suffering a 4-1 loss to Newcastle United last time out, with Sean Dyche's side now without a win since 11 March.

It must be noted that Everton's fate is far from sealed this season, as they do stand a fighters chance of avoiding the drop and retaining their Premier League status for another year at least. The Merseyside club face a relegation six-pointer against Leicester City on Monday night (1 May).