Everton face financial meltdown should they fail to avoid relegation this season.
The Daily Mail says according to multiple sources, the club will be contractually obliged to continue paying players their current Premier League basic salaries next season even if they are consigned to the Championship - though Everton insist members of their squad do have pay reduction clauses in the event of relegation.
In theory, players could forgo bonuses or other incentive rated add-ons if they fail to beat the dreaded drop - but Everton insist they can't go into detail about how their pay deductions work due to employee confidentiality.
Relegation wage slash clauses, especially among the clubs towards the lower reaches of the Premier League, have become commonplace in playing contracts as teams look to avoid the prospect of financial ruin should they suffer the drop.
Yerry Mina, Andre Gomes, Jordan Pickford and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are among the club's top earners; taking home in the region of £100,000 per week.
The Toffees would surely look to offload their top-earners if they are relegated to safeguard the club's financial future.
Similarly, Everton's top stars would almost certainly look to leave Goodison Park to continue playing top-level football.
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