Tottenham players agree 'mandatory' relegation contract clauses as ironic salary reductions revealed

Tottenham Hotspur players reportedly face having their salaries slashed by close to 50% should they suffer an unthinkable relegation to the Championship.

The Lilywhites remain the only Premier League team without a top-flight win in 2026 and are facing the very real prospect of a demotion to the second tier for the first time in nearly 50 years.

New head coach Igor Tudor has overseen a 4-1 loss to Arsenal and 2-1 defeat to Fulham since taking charge earlier this year, and Sunday's loss to the latter saw Spurs equal their longest Premier League winless run of 10 matches, first set in 1994.

The 16th-placed Europa League holders are just two points above 17th-placed Nottingham Forest and four clear of West Ham United, so two more dissatisfactory results could plunge them below the dreaded dotted line.

The full scale of what relegation would mean for Spurs has now been revealed, as The Athletic claims that Tudor's players would see their pay packets cut in half if they cannot stay afloat in the top flight.

Tottenham players 'face 50% wage cut' if relegated from Premier League

The majority of Tottenham players are said to have agreed mandatory salary reductions in case of relegation, deals that were struck before Daniel Levy's exit as executive chairman in September.

The North London outfit therefore have an 'element of protection' against dropping out of the Premier League for the first time ever, but Tudor is yet to mastermind a revival in his injury-hit squad since replacing the sacked Thomas Frank.

The former Juventus and Marseille manager did not hold his tongue in a scathing post-match assessment of Sunday's loss to Fulham, labelling Tottenham's situation "amazing" and accusing his team of lacking "brain" at Craven Cottage.

Despite their domestic plight, Tottenham found safe haven in the Champions League this year, finishing fourth in the league phase and earning a last-16 clash with Atletico Madrid, with the first leg taking place on March 10.

Prior to the showdown with Diego Simeone's side, the Lilywhites host Crystal Palace - the last them they beat domestically back in December - in Thursday's Premier League clash.

Timing of Tottenham wage cuts would be incredibly ironic

News of Tottenham's potential significant wage deductions has come at an incredibly ironic time, as it was reported just a matter of days ago that the club were preparing to rip up their salary structure.

Tottenham's owners allegedly accept that they have been under-investing in player salaries for years, as they did not have a single £200,000-a-week player until Conor Gallagher joined from Atletico Madrid in January.

Studies have shown that higher salaries equate to success more than big transfer fees do, but almost all of Spurs' players would be earning under £100,000 should a catastrophic relegation take place.

However, many of the club's most prized assets - such as Cristian Romero, Xavi Simons, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro and Guglielmo Vicario - would be expected to depart in that scenario, but several Spurs men are also playing for their World Cup chances as well as their team's top-flight status.