Chelsea’s Champions League exit has left some players facing the prospect of pay cuts of up to 30 per cent, while others will not see their wages immediately hit by a failure to qualify for the competition should they stay at the club.
The Boehly-Clearlake Capital owners introduced a new bonus system after buying Chelsea from Roman Abramovich, who only paid bonuses for winning trophies and did not include Champions League reduction clauses in contracts.
Having spent £600 million in the past two transfer windows, the move to insert Champions League clauses will help offset some of the costs of not playing in Europe’s top competition, although some of the cuts may be deferred past next season.
A number of players who joined Chelsea or who have signed new contracts since the takeover agreed to a variable salary scheme that saw a portion of their wages, as much as 30 per cent in some cases, tied to Champions League qualification.
But those still on contracts agreed under the Abramovich regime are guaranteed their full wages should they stay at the club this summer without signing new deals, despite Chelsea’s dismal season in which qualification for the Champions League has now become impossible.
Big earners from the Abramovich era include Kepa Arrizabalaga, Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and N’Golo Kanté, who has been in negotiations over an extension to his contract past the end of this season.
It is expected that any of the players from the Abramovich era who sign new contracts at Chelsea in the future will have to agree to the Champions League clause, so that the reductions impact the entire squad when the full transition period between ownerships has come to an end.
Chelsea have signed 12 senior players on permanent contracts since the Boehly-Clearlake takeover, including January signings Enzo Fernández, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Benoît Badiashile, Noni Madueke, David Datro Fofana and Malo Gusto, who will not be available to play until next season.
Silva, Reece James, César Azpilicueta, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja and Marcus Betinelli have all signed new contracts since the change of ownership.