Sheffield United stars STILL owed £8m in promotion bonuses ahead of Premier League return
- The bonuses are worth between £250,000 and £400,000 per player
- Sheffield United have deferred the payments but insist they will be honoured
Sheffield United‘s players are still owed around £8million in promotion bonuses from last season just days before the club’s return to the Premier League against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Mail Sport has learned that the club have deferred making the payments, which are worth between £250,000 and £400,000-per-player depending on how many matches they played during last season’s Championship promotion campaign, until September but insist they will eventually be honoured.
United secured promotion to the top-flight after two years in the Championship with a win over West Brom on 26 April, triggering one of the most generous bonus schemes in the country. The club have been beset by financial problems since being relegated however, to the extent that they were facing the prospect of entering administration had they not been promoted last season.
United have been the subject of several takeover bids, but despite battling cash-flow issues owner Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad appears determined to keep hold of the club following their promotion.
Mail Sport revealed in March how the club had imposed a series of extraordinary cost-cutting measures, including restricting the ground staff’s use of paint at their training ground, as well as being late in making several payments to suppliers.
Sheffield United’s players are still waiting for £8million in promotion bonus payments
The club insists the payments will be honoured and paid in line with contract stipulations
United’s players have now been left waiting for their promotion bonuses, which several of their representatives claim they were due last month. A United spokesperson told Mail Sport: ‘The bonuses will be paid in line with what is stipulated in the contract.’
United are not the only Premier League club to leave their players waiting for bonus payments despite banking over £100million each season in television money.
Mail Sport revealed last week that Nottingham Forest owe millions in overdue payments to players and agents, which has left several player representatives contemplating legal action.
